The Twin Spartans (The Story of Percy Jackson rewrite)
by Kaidon of Mdama
Summary: Perseus and Persephone Jackson have been known to be many things. ls. But there was a time when they were referred to as Spartans, and Heroes. Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or Halo, that belongs to Rick Riordan and 343 Industries. Reviews are greatly appreciated. An AU story
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello everyone. So for those of you who read my original story, the Story of Percy Jackson, this is the rewrite. There will be a number of changes to the story but it will be overall the same. I hope you all enjoy and review.**

 **Now onto the story!**

* * *

 **Prologue**

 **Percy's POV**

I wander through the empty bridge of my new ship. A Halberd-class destroyer known as the _Redemption_.

I stop and lean on the railing, gazing out of the viewport. Dozens of men in EVA thruster packs fly out of a space station and begin welding the final few plates of Titanium A armor on the ship.

Pretty soon she'll be rolling out of the docks.

With a I look at the endless blackness of space. After a few minutes I feel a hand being placed on my shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts." A calm voice says behind me.

I sigh and look at Admiral Matheus Drake. "Well I was just thinking, of how I ended up here. From some kid in a quiet inner-colony, to an Insurrectionist supplying rebels with weapons to fight the people I once served with."

"Drake nods. "I know how you feel. I was once also part of the UNSC. I served in their navy for years, watching us slowly get beaten back by the Covenant. Saw all the choices our leaders were willing to make, even the more questionable ones."

"I know. It's just that I spent almost my entire childhood training to fight for them, believing that one day I could help people like me who lost everything."

He eyes me curiously. "You've never actually spoken about your childhood. Would you like to share a bit?"

I shrug. "Sure, but it's kind off a long story."

He pulls out a chair and sits down. "We've got time."

I pull out another chair and sit in front of him. "Alright. So it started about 14 years ago on the colony Acropolis."

* * *

I wake up to the sounds of klaxons blaring in the distance. My green eyes shoot open and scan the room.

My mom rushes in and looks at me. "Wake you're sister. We're leaving now." She runs to my dresser and rips some clothes out at random before throwing it to me.

I rub my eyes groggily. "Where are we going? Whats happening?"

She gives me an irritated look. "Just get dressed!" She runs out before I could say anything.

I sigh and shake at another lump on the bed. It squirms around a bit, and soon I'm meet with a pair of sea green eyes identical to my own. "Whats wrong Percy?"

I shove her clothes in her hands. "Mom says to get dressed. She seemed to be in a hurry."

She nods and heads to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

I strip off my pajamas and slip onto my jeans and a blue T-shirt. I quickly grabs some socks and sneakers and tug them on.

A minute later Persephone comes out in a white dress. She kneels down and begins putting her shoes on.

"Mom we're done!" I shout. She comes in and grabs me and Persephone as soon as she has her sneakers tied.

She pulls us down the stair of our house. "Daddy's already in the car." She says, and frags us to the garage.

Me and my sister pile into the back while my mom jumps to the passenger seat. Our step dad Paul hits the accelerate before the garage door even fully opens, leaving a large hole on the door.

He drives through the crowded streets off our neighborhood. I'm surprised to see so many people up this late.

"Seems like the whole neighborhood's awake." Persephone whispers to me.

Paul drums his fingers on the steering wheel nervously while mom keeps glancing at the sides and backs as if she's expecting someone.

She turns on the radio but receives only static.

My parents exchange nervous glances until Paul places his hand reassuringly on my mom.

"What do you thinks going on?" Persephone asks.

"Dunno." I shrug.

No one says anything throughout the whole trip, anytime someone hears a noise my parents jump back and look around.

Finally the car pulls to a stop somewhere. I head out and find myself looking up and up at the giant spire that moves through the sky.

My parents head out and carry Persephone to it. "Percy come on, the evacuation ships are coming!"

Outside the spire are hundreds of other people in a large crowd.

Several men and women in drab olive fatigues set up barricades in front of them. The leader places his pistol back in it's holster and raises his arms to the crowd. "Everyone! The evacuation ships will be here shortly. Please remain calm."

This causes another of angry outbursts from the crowd.

"The Covenant are about to glass this city, and you want us to remain calm?" One shouts.

"Your job is to protect us!" Another cries.

"We need to get out of here!" A third adds.

I glance at Persephone, who's face has gone pale.

Like many, we've heard of the rumors of how theres an alien race trying to wipe us out, but both of us thought it would take years for them to find Acropolis.

Now thousands are here trying to escape the Covenant.

The soldier places a hand on the side of his helmet and taps it a few times. "Understood." He finally says, turning to us all. "Evacuation ships have arrived.

The militia parts ways as people by the hundreds stream through the now open doors of the Orbital Elevator.

Once a certain number of people have entered, the doors close and the militiamen get back to their positions.

Just as things begin to calm down, a loud blast is heard in the distance. I spare a glance back to see what is happening. A purple beam streaks through the sky.

It burns through what used to be our home and keeps moving through what used to be our neighborhood.

Many scream in panic while a few move over the barricades, only to be driven back by gunshots fired in the air by the militiamen.

This holds them back for a while, but more are gathering and trying again.

The militia train their weapons on the crowd. "Stay back!" The leader warns.

Many shout angrily, cursing and waving their fists. "Your supposed to be protecting us!" Several shout.

Before anyone can make another move, the doors of the Orbital Elevator open up. The crowd rushes past the surprised soldiers.

My mom grabs my arm and leads me inside followed by Paul and Persephone. Some of the militia even break away and join us.

The door closes behind us and the elevator begins it's ascent. With every minute in here the tension rolls off my back. The Covenant won't get us, we're going to escape.

I look at Persephone who's nervously fiddling her fingers. She gives me a small smile.

Finally the elevator stops at the station. I stare in awe at the space station. The massive metal hanger is huge, it could easily hold up to six football fields.

One army trooper waves around glowing those lights tarmacs officers use. "This way everyone!" He shouts, directing us with his lights. "The evacuation ship will be arriving here!"

I glance around at the crowd. Many have nothing with but the smallest personal possessions. Some look like they didn't have time to dress.

I feel a moment of sympathy for them as the ship arrives.

Many watch with relief as the ship begins to dock. Just as it enters however, a plasma round strikes the ships engine.

The evacuation ship shudders and lurches to one side. The crowd screams and backs away. It spirals out of control and crashes into the ground.

Many look at the smoldering wreckage in horror, a few begin crying. Any hope that was there was now dashed to the ground.

"Everyone get back!" A militia member and some army troopers run up and try to put out the fires.

"Where did those shots come from?" One asks quietly.

An army trooper looks and gasps. "There!" He points at two Covenant ships entering.

The soldiers scramble for their guns as the bay doors begin to open.

Dozens of those little stubby aliens run out followed by some bird looking ones and finally the hulking squid faced ones.

"Run!" The militiaman shouts at us, firing his pistol at the aliens.

The crowd surges away from the fighting, scattering and desperately looking for somewhere to hide or a way to escape. Those too slow are quickly shot down by blobs of plasma.

I do my best to keep up with my parents and Persephone, but my legs feel like wood. "Percy come on!" My mom shouts encouragements at me. "You can make-"

Her eyes go wide as a purple needle embeds itself into her chest. Her limp body falls to the ground.

I wanted to scream but no sound comes out. Instead I run to her. Persephone appears beside me and lets out a pained sob.

"We need to go." Paul insists, hoisting my moms body on his back.

We all take cover behind a bulkhead. I glance back to see whats happening. Many of the smaller aliens are dead on the ground, but those big squid headed ones are easily holding their own. Dozens of militia and army troopers lay on the floor around them.

The few troopers back away to where we are.

The alien leader, a white armored squid head, pulls out a strange barbel shaped device. He flicks it and a beam of energy ignites around it.

In a blur of motion he sprints forward, swinging his sword.

He slashes clean through one militias neck. Another fires his rifle at him, the alien ducks and disembowls him. A third has her neck snapped by him. The other troopers a swiftly gunned down by the other aliens.

The last surviving army trooper backs away, firing his shotgun at them. "Come on, I got enough ammunition for all of you!" He shouts, dodging their shoots.

"Is that a weapon or a flashlight. Oh shit!" He shouts as a bolt hits him square on the chest.

The white armored alien steps on his chest, leveling his rifle at his head before firing. He kicks the body aside and turns to the others. He growls in his own language and the others scatter.

Several soon come back dragging the other people who were hiding.

The aliens all turn to eagerly face their leader who simply raises his arm in the air. The grab hold of their human prisoners and aim their weapons at them.

The white armored alien seems to grin and brings his arm down.

At once all the others execute their prisoners.

Persephone lets out a loud and short gasp before covering her mouth.

One of the large aliens, though not the white armored one turns his head and bares it's fangs. It pulls out it's gun and approaches.

Paul presses his back against the bulkhead and closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath as if trying to calm himself down before opening his eyes again.

He kneels down and kisses both my and Persephone in the forehead. "I want you both to know, I love both of you."

With that, he runs out of the safety of the bulkhead and waves his arms at the alien.

It growls and fires it's weapon. Paul dodges and moves away from us, scooping up a rifle from a dead militiaman.

He fires a few burst of bullets at the alien. His foe roars loudly, attracting the attention of the other aliens.

They all move towards Paul, though none are in range to fire. Yet.

Paul simply holds down the trigger and fires wildly, dropping two of the buzzard headed aliens.

Seconds later the rifle stops firing. One of the aliens raises it's own gun and fires repeatedly at him.

His lifeless body crumples to the ground.

I glance at Persephone who's eyes are shinning and glittering with tears. I gingerly wrap my arms around her as she just breaks down.

A strong hand suddenly yanks me away from her. I turn and come face to face with the white armored alien.

It's expression is cold and unfeeling, though his eyes seem to have a hint of pity in them.

It hauls me to the other warriors while one of his aliens holds down a screaming Persephone. I thrash and kick around before he roughly drops me on the ground.

It moves in front of me and draws it's sword. This causes me to thrash even more.

The alien places it's hand on me again, but in a surprisingly gentle way. I glance up and his gaze tells me everything. 'Do not fight. It will be over soon.'

I cease my struggling and meet his stare.

He aims his sword at my throat. The only thing I hear is my sisters wailing beside me.

The alien brings his sword down-

and stops halfway upon hearing a loud 'thump' coming from the door.

The white armored alien looks back and points his sword at the door.

The other aliens move and train their weapons at the door. Something bangs at it again on the door, dents begins to form.

The third time the door breaks open and no fewer than seven figures charge in.

Six are heavily armed marines and the last one is the largest creature I have ever seen.

Fully clad in green armor and easily as tall as the white armored alien. All open fire at the aliens with their assault rifles.

Taking this chance I climb to my feet and begin running. I stop to grab Persephone from a distracted guard who's firing his rifle at the oncoming targets.

The warrior makes a halfhearted attempt to grab us, but he's too distracted in the fight

Suddenly the aliens find themselves overwhelmed and begin dropping like flies.

The white armored alien snarls and leaps forward and attacks the giant.

The giant backpedals as the warrior swings it's sword at him.

He raises his assault rifle and open fires. The alien raises his sword and uses it as a shied from his attacks.

He pulls his sword back and swings at the giant. The giant jerks his head to the side and the sword narrowly misses the side of his head.

The giant hands surge forward and grabs the alien by the neck before twisting is quickly. The aliens necks snaps and his body falls limply into the ground.

The giant notices us and approaches us. The two of us back away further, pressing our backs against the wall.

He kneels down in front of us and offer his hand. "It alright. We're here to help."

Persephone gently nudges me forward. Reluctantly I take his hand and follow him with my sister close behind.

The giant holds a finger to the side of his helmet. "This is Spartan-117. We have recovered two survivors. Requesting evacuation."

"Copy that master chief." A voice flares from his helmet.

A few minutes later, a sleek olive green military gunship enters the hanger. Everyone piles onboard the gunships bay and it takes off.


	2. Chapter 2

**No POV**

Percy sweeps the floor of his area in the orphanage. He glances up to see his sister sitting on her bed, staring sadly at the floor. "Hey Persephone?" He says, breaking the silence.

She looks at him with an empty look. "Ya?"

"Are you ok?" He asks, frowning with concern. "You've been really quiet, and you haven't been eating."

"I know." She replies, looking back down at the floor. "I was just thinking of home, and of mom and dad. I miss them so much."

I immediately wrap my arms around her in a firm embrace. "I know. I miss them too, but there's no going back now. It's just the two of us from now on."

I feel the warm tears splashing on my shirt as I hug her tighter. "Why would they do this to us?" She chokes out.

"Cause they're monster who think they're Gods." A harsh voice replies from the entrance. Immediately, Persephone pushes away from my chest and wipes the tears from her eyes. We both look at the doorway to see a man in a spotless white and blue dress uniform.

Behind him is a short marine glaring at me with big beady eyes. He tilts his head slightly to his companion. A gesture to get me to pay attention to the man speaking.

"Can I talk to you two in private?" The man in the dress uniform asks, stepping into our room.

"I-I guess." Persephone replies softly.

The man turns to his companion. "Could you give us a minute."

The marine nods gruffly and closes the door behind him. Once we're alone the man pulls a folder out of his satchel. He reads over it and pulls a chair from our desk and sitting down.

"So you two were from Acropolis. Both parents killed when the Covenant attacked." He places the folder down and looks at us both intesnly. "I am truly sorry for your loss."

There was something in his voice that told me he was used to saying that. "But thats not why I'm here kids. There something else."

He fishes a small circular device from his pocket and presses the button underneath it. Suddenly a 3D image of the armored giant that saved us appears.

"This is a Spartan." He announces to the two of us, as he was teaching a class. "They are the UNSC's finest soldiers and the few things keeping the Covenant, the aliens that attacked your colony from destroying humanity. They're heroes."

My mind suddenly goes into imagining one of these guys fighting hordes of aliens, saving innocent humans from them. By the look on Persephone's face, she imagining the same thing.

Although he tries to supress it, I can tell the mans was smirking. "Well, would you two like to be Spartans?"

The question takes us by surprise. I spend minute staring at him, not saying a thing. Finally Persephone regains her voice and says. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm training a new generation of Spartans, and I'm looking for new recruits." He replies. "So are you in?"

"Why should we go with you?" I cross my arms.

He raises an eyebrow as if amused that I'm trying to defy him. "Well let me be painfully honest. If you two stay here you'll be lucky if you even find someone to adopt you."

I notice that he doesn't refer to them as parents, or a family or even a home. Just someone to adopt us.

"But if you join us, you could be heroes, save countless lives, and more importantly give you a chance to strike back at the monsters who took your parents." He continues.

Me and Persephone look at each other and we share the same look. Grim determination. "We're in." We say in unison.

"Good, and from now on refer to me as Chief Mendez." He says. "Now pack your things and meet me downstairs in ten minutes."

The two of us quickly pack bags with clothes, toiletries and some snacks. We don't have much to actually pack. "Hey Percy, are you sure you wanna go through with this?"

"Yes, I do. He's right. We're going to be lucky if someone ever adopts us. I'd rather be a Spartan, than sit here and do nothing." I say firmly. I offer my hand. "We'll do this together."

She grabs my hand and holds it tightly. "Together."

The two of us grab our duffels and head down. Where Mendez and the Marine our waiting. Mendez turns to the woman sitting behind the desk. "We'll take these two."

* * *

I shift around in the crowded Pelican. Surrounding me and Persephone are over twenty kids around our age. I rub my bandaged arm slightly, feeling to where the doctors took my blood. One of the many tests me and Persephone were given to see our attributes.

The Pelican slowly descends from the sky. Mendez exits the ship's cockpit and looks at each of us. "We will be landing soon. Prepare yourselves to get down."

The other kids stand up and began strapping their bags onto to their bags. Finally the hum of the Pelicans engines die down and comes to a stop. The bay doors open up and we march out to the camp outside.

The camp was a horseshoe shaped collection of green and grey buildings, ranging from a arc shaped barracks, the large rectangular armory and the three story command center. Several more Pelicans land and discharge more children.

"Welcome to Camp Currahee recruits!" A large man dressed in green fatigues. "I am Commander Ambrose! I will be overseeing your training here to be Spartans!"

The kids murmur amongst themselves in excitement. "But," Commander Ambrose interrupts them. "I will not lie, this won't be easy. We expect you to listen to us without question, no matter how much we ask. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir." All the kids reply.

He turns to look to Mendez. "Then I'll leave you all in Mendez's hands."

Mendez pushes his way past the crowds and looks at us. "Listen up kids! Before I even let you carry a rifle or put on your armor, I need to know that you can march properly. Divide into groups of a hundred, rows of ten!"

The other instructors begin to herd the kids, but many of already begun forming the rows. Once Mendez is satisfied with our uneven rows he begins marching ahead of us. He leads us on the camps dirt road.

The short march turned into a three mile walk. Mendez didn't just lead us across the camp but also through some of the forest passess. By the time we return, all the kids are exhausted and gasping for air. By the time we return the sun had already began to set.

Mendez for his part isn't particularly winded despite being in his late thirties. "Come on recruits, just a bit longer before we reach the barracks." He calls after us.

I was about to collapse when a gun goes off. The kid beside screams as a round hits his neck. The other kids cry out in surprise as more rounds are fired. I react a lot faster and hide underneath a jeep. The attack has come from insode the barracks itself.

My heart is pounding inside my chest. Who are these people? Why are they here? What will they do to us?

"Take cover!" I shout, if anyone aside from a handful of kids hear me, they don't give any indication.

The few who do listen scramble for cover be it jeeps, bushes, trees or buildings. The rest run around in panic, slowly being picked off. Looking from where I'm hiding I see more than two dozen kids are on the ground, all groaning in pain. Thankfully all of them still look alive.

My eyes meet with Persephone who's hiding behind a tree. We share a nod and run from our hiding places, racing towards one of the injured recruits.

We dodge incoming fire from the shooters. My legs seem to shake of all my previous exhaustion as adrenaline pumps inside me.

Me and Persephone reach the first recruit at the same time. The two of us each grab his legs and drag him to the nearby trees. We pull his helmet off as he winces in pain, feeling the shoulder that got shot. "How do you feel?"

His fingernails dig into my arm as I prod his injury. "It feels numb." He replies.

"Just calm down. It will be alright." Persephone comforts him. "What's your name?"

"T-Tom." He gasps, clutching his arm. I glance past the tree to see the other kids still on the ground.

Persephone gives Thom her kind smile. "Well Thom, things are going to be fine, just relax." Just as quickly as the shots begin they stop.

"I think I've seen enough." Mendez says, stepping out from underneath a jeep, wiping dirt from his uniform. Around him, the instructors come out of the barracks, each carrying smoking rifles. "You all got a lot to learn about teamwork and coordination, and most importantly, the golden rule of being a soldier: Never leave a man behind."

The instructors begin leading the kids who got shot away. "Don't worry, we used stun rounds." One assures us.

Me and my sister help Thom lean on us. We lead him to a surprised looking trainer. "Here you go."

Mendez look at us, still stone faced as always, but I can see the astonishment in his eyes. "Well, it looks like some of you know more than others."

My chest suddenly swells with pride upon hearing that. A second later Mendez turns back to the kids. "Alright everyone, get inside for some dinner."

Almost at once everyone's stomach grumbles. All the kids run inside to the gray mess hall. The dinner itself was low key. The cooks each give us a tray of Mac and cheese, a piece of chicken, some vegetables and some water to wash it down.

Me and Persephone grab are trays and head to an empty table by the corner. "I think he likes us." Persephone says with a mouthful of Macaroni.

"Who?" I ask, jabbing my fork at my chicken and taking a bite.

"The chief."

"Nah he's probably just being nice."

Persephone shakes her head. "I could have sworn her was smiling at us."

"More like baring his fangs." I say jokingly. Persephone giggles and playfully punches my shoulder. Someone clears his throat behind us.

We both look over our shoulders to find Thom holding his tray. "Uh, mind if I join you guys?"

I shrug and scoot over to one side to make room for him. Tom smiles and sits down. "Thanks for saving me a while ago. Even if it wasn't real."

"It was nothing." Persephone smiles. "So, where are you from?"

"Kholo. I was evacuated by marines, though the rest of my family didn't make it." He says, his gaze becoming distant, as if in deep thought.

"Us too." I say, frowning sadly. "We were born on Acropolis. The Covenant destroyed our world."

Tom bobs his head. "From what I heard, all these kids are orphans. Those monsters did all of this."

I nod silently in agreement. "That why we're here right? To become Spartans and to fight those monsters and become heroes."

"Well regardless, I'd be happy to fight alongside you two anytime, anywhere." He smiles.

Persephone munches happily. "Not too soon I hope."

We all nod in agreement, finishing our food before heading to a dreamless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**No POV**

Drake nods, taking in every word that I said. "Interesting. I still can't believe that I'm getting a first hand account of the Spartan program."

Percy smiles, finally being able to let everything out. "Well, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Still, it must have been hell being a Spartan, I heard of some pretty horrible things that happened to the Spartan-IIIs, read a bunch of them in ONIs files." Drake nods.

"Oh it was." A voice says behind us. Persephone leans by the entrance of the bridge, with a sandwich in one hand and a glass of iced tea in the other. She's dressed in brown shorts, sneakers and a dark blue T-shirt. "Are you guys talking about the Spartans?"

Drake waves at her while Percy grins at her. "Ya, Admiral Drake here was telling asking about our childhood."

"Oh, what part?" She ask, her green eyes lighting up in excitement.

"About the part of you guys starting of as you're Spartan training."

Persephone grabs a seat as well. "Well get ready Admiral, now it's time to hear a real story."

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

"Wake up trainee!" A harsh voice shouts, followed by an electric jolt surges across my chest. I stumble off my bed and look up in shock. One of the instructors stands over me with a glowing baton. "Get up trainee!" He barks. I open my eyes and are greeted by the intense light of a LED light.

I let my eyes adjust to light to see the other instructors and waking the other kids in the same way. Once all the kids stop moaning in pain, Chief Mendez makes his way forward.

"Attention recruits!" He shouts, his voice easily carrying across the room. "Today you will begin basic training. These nice ladies and gentlemen will make sure none of you get sloppy. If you do-" He pulls out his own baton and turns it on.

Moving with lightning speed, I stumble into the shower room, trying to breath. I manage to catch my ragged breath just as the warm soapy water sprays out of the shower followed by icey cold water.

I towel myself down and don some olive drab fatigues, thick socks and hiking boots. I catch a glimpse of Percy heading out at the front of the group. "Outside!" Mendez announces.

We're all greeted by the rising sun. The grass is covered with droplets of dew. The weather was chilly, with a chilly breeze in the air. Mendez takes a deep breath. "Rows of five recruits! Do you know how to count?"

Me and Percy end up in the third row with another girl and two guys. I take a few deep breaths and shake off the last of my grogginess.

"Jumping jacks!" Mendez shouted. "Count off to one hundred. Ready, go." The officer started the exercise and we all followed his lead. A few kids are still sleepy and don't comply. Their trainers were on them instantly, whipping out their batons.

The kids fall over and unsteadily start to exercise. By the time we reach a hundred I hunch to my knees, gasping for air. "Push ups!" Mendeze suddenly shouts, dropping to the ground.

"The first trainee who quits," Mendez grunts while doing push ups. "Repeats, and does twice as many push ups."

After that their were situps. Then knee bends. "Rest!" He yells.

By the time we finish everyone is sprawled on the grass, exhausted. Some even look like they're going to pass out from exhaustion. Beside me, Percy is holding his stomach like he's about to throw up. The kid beside him snickers.

"Hey don't be mean!" I scowl defensively. "None of us have ever worked this hard before."

He simply grunts. "What's the matter, gonna let a girl fight for you?" He taunts at Percy. A hand grabs him and spins him around to face the other girl.

"What are your problem with girls? Don't think we're tough?" She points at a jagged scar running down across her face to her cheek. "One of the Covenant gave me this when they glassed my world. If you diss girls again I'll give you one."

The guy gulps and looks away from us. The two of us smile smugly and bump fists. "I'm Persephone."

"Sam." She introduces herself.

A deep, elderly voice clears his throat above us. A small holographic old man dressed in dark blue robes and a cape floats to us. He's surrounded by his own flurry of snow. "I see you are all getting to know each other. But it is time for classes to begin."

His face crinkles into a smile. It was a kind smile, like the ones a grandfather would give their grandchildren. I groan loudly. Other kids grumble audibly.

"Well," His smile turns into a mischievous smirk. "I suppose we could skip the lessons so you can continue your physical training with chief Mendez."

Everyone climbs to their feet and makes a beeline for the classroom. The classroom, thankfully was air conditioned. We all take our seats on the desks and the holographic man floats to the front of the room. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Deep Winter. I will be your teacher."

He taps his foot and a holographic map appears at the front of the room. The map appears to be the former countries of France and Belgium. Several huge lines run across the countries., behind them are the flags of Germany, France and Britain.

"I thought that since you're all going to be soldiers, you might need to know a little military history. This was the Western front during World War I, otherwise known as the first Great War."

He then goes on about a complicated series of alliance, fierce imperialism and military rivalries. While he speaks the map zooms in to the French Borders where a huge trench war is taking place. Soldiers charge up the trenches only to be cut down by machine gunners of the other side, German soldiers releasing poisoned gas against their French enemies.

No one could take their eyes of the spectacle. Everyone watches in a mixture of amazement and horror.

Finally the night falls and the remaining troops of both sides retreat to their respective trenches. Deep Winter taps his foot again and the holograms vanish. We all stare at him in amazement. "I'm glad about you all enjoyed it, now run along we will continue this tomorrow."

He smiles. "Now I believe it's time for free time."

With that, Deep Winter winks, the vanishes as well.

* * *

All the kids run out of the classroom. Percy sits by a bench and relaxes while I read a book that Deep Winter gave me. It's called _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn._

I happily read my datapad, walking as I do.

I was too excited that I didn't notice the guy right in front me until I bumped into him. He turns around, glaring down at me. "Watch where you're going girl." He growled, baring his teeth at me.

"Sorry. I didn't see you there." I squeak quickly.

The guy doesn't seem satisfied and grabs her book. "Whats a shrimpy girl like you doing here? This is a place to train soldiers."

He throws my book aside and pushes me to the ground. "A tiny girl like you shouldn't be here. Just go home, that is. Of you have a home.

That comment strikes home and I feel tears stinging my eyes as the guy sneers. "How can you be a Spartan of you can't even take a few mean words?"

Percy comes to my rescue and grabs the guy's shoulder. "Hey, that's a bit too far." He warns, behind him is another girl.

He simply snorts and looks at the two. "So now you need to fight her battles. Weren't you the guy who threw up a while ago. Dunno why they would trust you to hold a gun if you can't even hold your breakfast.

Percy balls his fists and growls. "Well I'm surprised my sister didn't see you, seeing as you're so fat."

His fist moves like lightning and hits Percy's stomach. My brother has the wind knocked out of him and leaves him on the floor. The girl grabs his shoulder, spins him around and gives him a wicked sock in the face.

Percy rolls to the side as the guy topples over like a chopped tree. The girl sneers. I notice a long scar running across her cheek. She then kicks the guy in his stomach a few times.

Another kid grabs the girl and pulls her back. "Thats enough! He learned his lesson."

The big guy rubs the spot where the girl kicked him. "I didn't need you're help. I could have handled her."

"All three of us?" I growl as Percy climbs to his feet and cracks his knuckles and the girl growls.

Before any of us can throw another punch I feel a sharp jolt surge through my body coming from my back.

I falk face first to the ground, then have two trainers grab my arms and haul me to my feet. Around me, Percy and the other kids are held in similar positions.

Medez paces in front of us, his movements similar to a cat about to pounce on it's prey. "What excatly are you recruits doing!" He shouts.

At this point everyone shits up.

Except for the scar-faced girl. "We're just putting someone in his place." She growls, glaring at the big dude.

Mendez seems to conteplate this for a minute, then looks right at her face, practically nose-to-nose with her. "Well then I hope you got to know each other. Cause from no on you will serve in the same team."


	4. Chapter 4

**No POV**

A pelican dropship cuts through the clouds from the frigate hovering in the sky. Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose straightens his posture and sighs. Today was the inspection of his commanding officer and creator of the Spartan-III program. His CO, Colonel James Ackerson.

Kurt found it hard not to scowl as the Pelican touches down on the hanger. Just from reading his file and recalling a few previous meetings with him, Kurt knew damn well that despite the Colonels claims of using this program as a way to buy humanity time, he did this for glory. He wanted to make a Spartan program that will replace doctor Halsey's and often times he seemed to blend those two ideas.

Political maneuvering like that never sat well with Kurt, but he had a job to do. He and his men stand in attention as Ackerson steps down from the platform, his eyes widen however as another figure soon follows the Colonel.

An elderly woman in an Admiral's uniform who needs a cane to help her walk, and she was the scariest person in the UNSC. Admiral Margaret Parangosky.

As if someone sent electric jolts through all the men's back, they stand straighter and salute. "Admiral, Colonel. Welcome to Onyx." Kurt snaps in attention.

The two return the gesture and nod to Kurt. "Thank you Lieutenant-Commander. Now if you don't mind I want to get this inspection underway immediately." The seventy year old admiral says, stepping past him and heading down to the observation area.

Kurt quickly follows her. "So give me a run down on the new company soldier." Ackerson says, not wasting any time for idle chit chat.

"Sir," Kurt looks over his data pad. "We've conscripted 418 candidates, equipped them with Mark II Semi-Powered Infiltration Armor and have begun narrowing down those who won't undergo Augmentations."

"Excellent." Ackerson claps his hands together and looks over at Parangosky nervously. He has a lot riding on the Admiral's approval. They stroll onto an observation platform that has a variety of cameras, binoculars, telescopes and consoles that control the training course. Though of course at this time it's not being used.

"So what are the candidates up to now?" Parangosky asks, looking through the telescope to see some of them just milling about. "Looks like they're just standing around."

Kiet purses his lip as he was hoping this question. At this time of the day he normally gave his Spartans time off training. "Well uhh, this is actually their free time."

The Admiral looks away from the telescope in disbelief, her expression unreadable though it's clear she's thinks its a joke and is not amused. "What do you mean Commander?"

Ackeron visibly pales as his hands begin to shake. "Well ma'am. I normally give my Spartans some time off after training everyday, for about an hour or so."

"And what purpose does this freetime serve? This isn't a playground full of children Spartan. These are soldiers who need to be trained." Parangosky reminds him coldly.

"These are children." Kurt wanted to remind her, but instead keeps silent. Thankfully Deep Winter decides to take over. "Actually, according to my research the free time actually helps the candidates in communication skills and teamwork. As of now Beta Company has had improved performance over Alpha Company."

"Still, this seems quite unprofessional. I would much rather have it stopped." Parangosky mutters incredulously.

"Well with all due respect Admiral, I was given the task to train these Spartans, and i believe that this will be the best way to train them." Kurt retorts, not missing a beat. He knew it was dangerous and stupid to question her, anyone who had has disappeared shortly afterwards. But he didn't care, these Spartans were still kids and they deserved to have a chance to act like one's. Even for a short time.

And besides, unlike most personal who made the same mistake, Parangosky knew she couldn't replace Kurt. Spartan-IIs becoming increasingly in short supply and Spartan-051 had certain qualities his fellow Spartan-IIs didn't.

Parangosky held her gaze at the trainer, her nostrils flaring. Ackerson begins to hyperventilate as he sees this. Something tells him that she wouldn't soon forget this, and that if she can't touch the man responsible, she'd take her anger out on the one who put him in that position.

He gulps, mentally preparing for the verbal lashing of a lifetime later.

"Very well Commander." The Admiral says at last. "I will let you continue."

Ackeron speaks up. "I concur with the Admiral let's see how well this training has paid off. Show me the top fireteams."

Deep Winter blinks then fifteen names appear in three columns, the three on top are highlighted gold to signify the team leader. "Fireteam Legionnaire, Immortal, and Foxtrot. Led by Jason-B090, Allison-B367 and Tom-B292 respectively."

He then proceeds to show them video clips of their performance in the War Games. Kurt feels a rush of pride as he sees how well his Spartans are performing, even Ackerson nods in approval. "Impressive, you've trained these kids well."

Parangosky doesn't appear impressed. "They're good, but this company is only as their weakest members. So who's the lowest scorer.

Kurt pauses, biting his lip as his hand stops mere inches away from the control panel. He offers her a weak smile. "Off course ma'am."

He gestures to Deep Winter who sweeps his hand across the three Fireteams and gets them to vanish and replaced by five more. "Fireteam Crusader. Lead by…...honestly I'm not really sure who's in charge."

"Walk me through them Winter." Parangosky says.

Deep Winter nods, pointing at a girl with wavy brown hair and a wicked scar running down her cheek. "Sam-B037, close quarter specialist, everyone calls her Sev for her habit of cutting things, she's a good fighter, but is way too aggressive."

Ackerson rubs his chin thoughtfully. "How'd she get that scar?"

"Well according to what she said, when her colony was attacked she had a closer encounter with an Elite. He would have took the rest of her head if it hadn't for some marines."

He moves to a bulky kid with a buzzcut. "Andrew-B189. Specialty in heavy weapons, but seems to only love the sound of his voice cause he doesn't listen to anything else."

Then a lean kid with long blonde hair. "Nathan-B178. His specialty is as a sniper and rifleman, though he's not particularly good with frontline fighting and is only average in everything else, and finally Persephone-B312 and Percy-B313, those two are pretty much the only two who can work together."

Parangosky nod, looking at the five. "Prepare a match then. Crusader against one of the top three."

Kurt gawks at her. She couldn't be serious. "But ma'am, these Spartans aren't ready for that kind of combat."

"I want to see how they perform commander. Set the match."

* * *

 **Percy's POV**

"Crap, crap, crap." I curse loudly taking cover behind a tree as bullets are fired past me. Looking over the edge for a few seconds before a bullet splinters against the trunk mere inches away from me.

I manage to make out two figures firing assault rifles at me.

In a few heartbeats the bullet decrease significantly, one of the probably needed to reload. I jump out and return fire with my own rifle.

Both Spartans were taken by surprise and back away behind a nearby tree. Twenty meters away, Sam screams viciously as she charges forward, firing her M90 CAWS, with a knife attached to the barrel like a good old fashioned bayonet.

Sev fixes her bayonet and sprints past us.

"Dammit Sam." I hiss quietly. Although I always liked her, she was way too reckless for her own good. Brushing that thought aside, I think about the enemy team. So Jason and Hazel are in front of me. That leaves Reyna, Octavian and Frank to worry about.

By the sound of the heavy machine gun fire in the distance, Nathan found at least one of them. "Andrew I need you to flank Jason and Hazel's position." I say over the COMs.

"Ya thats not gonna happen. I got my own problems." He replies.

In the corner of my eyes I see a faint shimmer. I whirl around and point my rifle at the shape until I see the green acknowledgement light flashing. The figure takes the shape of a Spartan and her armor shifts from brown to a variety of green from the foliage. "Hey sis." I mutter, peering over the edge of the tree.

"What's the deal with Andrew?" I ask, pointing my rifle in his direction.

Persephone shrugs. "Last I saw, he dove into a ditch and was taking fire from Octavian."

"Seriously?" I laugh. "Who gets beaten up by Octavian?" Despite being one of the top fireteams, it was common knowledge that Octavian was the weakest link in Legionnaire.

"Hey shut up!" Nathan shouts angrily.

Well that only leaves Reyna and Frank. "Shit!" Nathan yells through pained grunts. "It's Jason and Hazel, they're on me."

My sister curses, the two of us were too distracted to deal with them. We both sprint off to Nathan's direction.

"I got this!" He shouts at his COMs at us.

"Don't be stupid Andrew, you can't take on the two of them yourself." I yell back. When we reach him, he's standing in the middle the forest, firing his stripped down version of the AIE-486H machine gun at two Spartans crouching behind some trees.

Hazel draws her sidearm and fires. Andrew raises his shoulder and uses it as a shield. Unlike most Spartans, Andrew had modified his armor by adding additional armor plates on his SPI armor, giving up its stealth capabilities for protection

"He needs help." My sister mutters beside me, pointing her marksman rifle at the pair. I nod and raise my MA5. "You take Hazel and I got Jason."

We both rush at them, firing our rifles. Jason was the first to react and slowly backs away. "Let's go." He whispers, tapping her shoulder.

The two backpedal, their SPI armor changing color to camouflage them into the forest. The two of us shared confused glances. But before either of us could say anything, Nathan screams and falls on the ground with pink stalactites sticking from the back of his helmet.

Another flash comes out from the trees and Persephone's rifle is blown from her hands. "Sniper!" I warn, jumping behind a tree.

I pull my rifle free and fire up at the tree along with Persephone who has her two M6 pistols drawn.

A faint wheeze escapes the trees as Frank tumbles down, covered in a dozen pink paint blots. "I hope the big guys ok." Persephone says.

"I'm sure he's fine." I assure her. With the exception of Octavian, I was quite fond of the Spartans of Fireteam Legionnaire. "But wheres Sam?"

As if on cue, Sam stumbles through the undergrowth and hits a tree. Her shotgun is gone and instead has her combat knife ready.

Reyna leaps out and has her own knife in one hand, and a pistol in the other. Sam brings her knife up and thrusts it, Reyna blocks the attack with her own then fires a dozen pistol rounds into Sam's stomach.

The pink spots cover her chest plate and her armor quickly registers the lethal attacks and stiffens up. Not letting her get the advantage over us, I fire my rifle at her.

One round pierced her side and she hisses in pain. She limps away back to the trees, leaving me and Persephone standing back to back. We whirl around and train our rifles at the direction where Jason and Hazel came from.

Two grenades sail out and land in our feet. I push Persephone aside and start running out from the trees, firing our rifles blindly. Jason, and Hazel rush out and fire at the undergrowth. One stray round hits my sister's leg and she tumbles down to the ground.

"Sis!" I shout, crouching down to help her. Dropping my rifle and pulling out my pistol and firing in their direction.

Hazel lobs another grenade at us. Me and Persephone are both covered in a flower of pink paint. I see was Nathan climbing out of the ditch he's in with his rifle shot out of his hands and a M6 in it's place. He fires a few shots till two shoots to the chest take him out as well.

"Final score, Legionnaire: 5, Crusader: 1." Kurt announces over the speakers.

* * *

 **Kurt's POV**

Everybody stares speechless. Ackerson was the first to regain his composure. "Well, that was certainly something."

Me and Mendez look through the Spartans scores. "Looks like Immortal, Foxtrot and Legionnaire are going to compete for top honors."

I nod, seeing their names on the top of the list. My spirits deflate however as I see at the very bottom of the list is Crusader. Mendez looks over my shoulder and frowns. "Ya, I heard about the fight with Legionnaire. If those kids don't get their act together, they won't be Spartans."

I wince at the subtle anger in Mendez's voice, although it was a fair statement. Whenever I saw Crusader all I saw was wasted potential. They all were highly capable soldiers in their own right, each with their respective talents. But their inability to cooperate with each other is what keeps holding them back.

"Well what do you wanna do about them? I don't wanna just give up on them." Kurt sighs, placing his arms in his face.

Mendez sits beside me. "It's always hard to deal with situations like this. Remember Commander, I trained the first batch of Spartans, and one of the hardest thing I had to do is dismissing the weakest ones. Think about it like this, would these Crusader be a detriment to the rest of Beta in the long runs?"

"I do." I says honestly, reminding myself of who I am. I'm their trainer, their mentor, not their friend. "Their too undisciplined to work with the other Spartans."

"Then ask yourself this, can you still get them to improve?" He continues.

"I-I think-" my voice trails off. I think about all of Crusaders lost battles, all of their failed exercises. "I think it's time we do our hail mary pass."

Mendez's brows raises briefly as he tries to understand. "Are you sure about that?"

"It worked on us chief." I remind him.

"Yes it did. I worked damn well on you kids. Alright, I'll set up the course sir." Mendez says.

* * *

 **Percy's POV**

"Where do you think they're taking us?" I ask, feeling the pelican bump from turbulence.

Andrew grunts then chuckles."Maybe they'll dump us to toughen us up."

Sam lowers the knife she's sharpening. She glares daggers at him then growls. "Quit joking around! This is serious. We could be punished for this."

"Hey I'm just saying, you weren't exactly in top shape in the fight yesterday." He reminds her angrily, jumping to his feet and pointing an accusing finger at her. "I wasn't the one who got beaten in her own specialty."

"Oh, man like you managed to take down Legionnaire. Maybe you need some toughening up as much as we do!" Sam shoots back, standing up as well.

Before either of them can reach across the Pelican and throttle each other, a trainer pulls out a humbler stun device as a warning. "Don't get any ideas."

The two back down, but keep the glares at each other. "Thats enough out of both of you." Mendez growls, leaning on the side of the cockpit door. "You might wanna save that energy to where we're headed."

I snap in attention. "Sir, where exactly are we headed."

Stone faced as always, although I almost saw a smirk on his face when I asked that. "Just a little training exercise recruit." He pulls out a few pieces of paper and hands each of us a piece. "You might need this."

From the small window the bay doors I see miles and miles of forest underneath us. The only sign of civilization was a small marine outpost in the center of it all, and even that shrinks as we speed off. Signs of winter have already begun to show itself.

Trees are now snow white and the branches are new almost empty of leaves.

Finally the dropship descends onto a clearing large enough for it to fit. "Jackson, Sam, get out here!" Mendez barks.

Me and Sam raise our rifles and run out. My sister was about to follow but a trainer pushes her back. "Just these two, not you. Now enjoy the walk back."

Before anyone could protest, the doors slam shut and the Pelican shoots off. "Well shit." Sam mutters, slinging her shotgun over one shoulder.

"It gets worse." I say, not taking my gaze of the sky. Small bits of snow begin to fall. "It's starting to snow. We better find some shelter."

Sam looks at the paper she was given. Her eyes widen with interest. "Hey! This is a map of the forest. Let me see yours."

I pull out my own papers and study the map. My brows furrow as a frown forms on my lips. "Hey! This plateau shouldn't be there." I point out on her map. "And those trees aren't in the same location as mine."

She throws the maps in the air in exasperation. "Well this is just great! We got two fucking maps and we don't even know which one is real. For all we know, neither of them are!"

I look at the maps a few more times and notice a few things and begin to head north. "This way."

"How do you know that?" She demands, looking up at the sky.

I smirk at her. "I have a theory. Look at the maps again."

She shrugs and looks at them. "What am I looking at?" She questions.

I point at some of the landmarks. "Well while you were screaming I noticed something odd at the maps. Look at these, they're on the same place on both maps. We could asume that these places are accurate and head north towards the camp. I saw an outpost a few hours walk from here. It's our best chance of getting out of here." I reply.

Sam rolls her eyes and punches my shoulder. "Nice job Jackson. Let's just hope your legs are as good as your eyes."

She then takes off into the forest.

I allow myself a smile as I run after her, trying to keep up.

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

I walk through the side of the plateau, clutching my rifle tightly. Andrew walks in patrol twenty meters away from me with his own rifle trained downwards as if he expects someone to begin scaling the cliff.

I wander away from him, towards Andrew who's assembling his sniper rifle along with other scouting gear. "Hi there." I smile at him.

"Hey." He replies a bit quickly as he attaches a scope to his sniper rifle.

I frown as he slings it on his back. "Ready to go Nathan?"

"Ya." He says in the same tone.

"Is there something bothering you?" I ask again, this time much more firmly. "Cause we're a team and we need to be ready and able to work together."

"Fine." He rolls his eyes. "If you and your brother are done making fun of me."

My eyes narrow at him. "Is that what all this is about? Listen Nathan, me and Percy were just messing around a while ago. I'm sorry if it hurt you."

"A bit late for sorry." He mutter angrily, standing up and beginning to walk away.

I grab him by his shoulder and spin him around and shove my face up to mine. "Well maybe if you were a better fighter we wouldn't be making fun of you!"

He growls and balls his fist. "Hey, you weren't exactly the most helpful leader back there."

Andrew chuckles. "Ya, like she was the leader."

I ignore him and steps closer to Nathan and clench my own fists. I knew well enough that if things came blows, I had the advantage in experience, and speed, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't put up one hell of a fight and could easily take advantage of his better reflexes and quick draw.

Or because I just wouldn't want to fight him.

"Ooooh. Cat fight, my money's on girly here." Nathan laughs.

"Shut up!" Me and Andrew shout in unison.

The lanky recruit steps in front of me and stares daggers at Nathan who brandishes his rifle threateningly. "I'll fill you with paint and drag you down the plateau." He warns.

"And maybe if you two idiots worked together, we could start heading back to base." I snap, wedging myself in between them.

Andrew flashes me an irritated glare. "Maybe if you took weren't too caught up in your little drama, you'd notice that it's starting to snow. Unless you wanna spend the night freezing your ass off, I suggest we look for some shelter."

"It can reach as low as 10 C." Nathan breaths out nervously, shivering as a cold breeze blows past him.

"Then we better go." I add, sliding down a not so steep cliff side.


	5. Chapter 5

**Percy's POV**

After of hours of marching, I was seriously becoming annoyed with Sam. Couple that with the fact that the sun had already begun to set, and so does the temperature. Although SPI armor was meant to be able to regulate the temperature, the Onyx winter could be brutal.

Already the snow had intensified and from about an inch of snow to almost a foot. "I mean we've been walking for six goddamn hours."

"Ya I guess." I reply noncommittally.

She doesn't seem to notice my halfhearted tone and just keeps on continuing her rant. "You know who doesn't have to walk around in the ice. While it's snowing?"

"No, who?"

"Frank. I but he's laying on a soft pillow with his big fucking melon head under the heater."

"Ya, that seems about right."

She was about to say more when thankfully something cuts her off. The loud sounds of a Pelicans engines hums over us.

For a moment I shrug it off, thinking it's just a dropship heading to drop of supplies to some far off outpost. But I quickly realize that the only outpost in the region was a mile in the other direction.

Looking at Sam I can tell she reached the same conclusion. "Crap, what the hell are they doing all the way here?"

"Maybe the Commander changed his mind and sent it to picks us up." I say dryly.

Sam rolls her eyes and pulls her shotgun from her back. "Please Jackson, cut the sarcasm."

"Maybe it's a sign that if we decide to throw in the towel, that pelican is there to pick us up." I say.

She snorts. "Like hell that's gonna happen." Although most of the time I find myself at odds with Sam, I have to agree with her on this. There's no way in hell I'm giving up now.

"Or more likely it's filled with marines who were sent to kick our ass." I continue, pulling my sidearm out. This is how Mendez and the Lieutenant-Commander ran things, change the rules in the middle of the game.

A grin spreads across Sev's face as she runs her finger across her knife bayonet. "A survival test turns in a manhunt? Finally, some fun. This march had been getting boring."

"No." I reply bluntly. "The temperature is freezing and the snow will be more likely to kill us than those marines if we don't find shelter."

Sam mumbles unhappily to herself, but she's smart enough to know I'm right about it. Finally after a second it looks like she's calmed down and says. "Well I didn't see any caves while we were walking. Where do we find shelter?"

My training kicks in and I point at the dense forests. "We can survive a few days without food and water, but we won't survive the winter. Where there's a forest, there's trees."

"There's wood for fire." Sam continues, resting the gun on her shoulders "I can chop some firewood."

Sam raises her shotgun like an axe and swings the bayonet at a thick looking branch. The blade easily severs it and it falls to the ground between her legs. She begins to climb the tree and uses her knife to cut some branches.

I set my pack down beside Sam and looks through what we have. Two extra combat knives, a pair of sleeping bags, ten extra clips for my rifle, fifteen rounds for Sam's shotgun, two sets of MREs, a lighter and a canister of biofoam.

Just as I was about to sit down, Sam drops beside me from a tree. I gasp, falling of the log I was sitting on. "Damnit Sev you almost gave me a heart attack!"

She giggles and punches me on the shoulder a few times. "Come on Perce, we both know you're tougher than that." She sets a dozen branches and sticks on the ground and lights them. "This enough fire wood?"

I nod and open up one of the MREs. "We have to ration it, so I hope you don't mind sharing." I open up a protein bar and start eating.

"You sure know how to treat a girl Jackson." She smiles and takes a candy bar. "I'm keeping this by the way."

"Just eat." I smirk, throwing my protein bar wrapper at her. She catches it and throws it over her shoulder. "So how do you think the others are doing?"

"I'm not sure." I admit, looking to the sky. The snow keeps pouring and icy winds snap at the back of my neck. "I just hope they're ok."

She snorts and keeps eating. "I'm sure they're fine. Persephone's probably dragging those idiots as we speak."

I chuckle a bit and smile at her. When she wasn't scowling, which wasn't often she actually looked quite pretty. "I don't think I ever learned where you're from."

"New Sarikamish." She replies. "We get snow days like this for half the year. What about you Jackson? You're shivering so my much you look like you're arms are gonna fall off."

"Hey I never had snow in Acropolis, and I always stayed inside whenever it's snowing here."

She throws her arms up dramatically. "But snow is the most amazing thing in the world."

"I don't care about it." I reply as Sam simply shrugs in response. Finally, she stretches her arms and sets her helmet beside her.

"I might get some rest." She yawns sleepily and lays on her back, piling some snow together as a pillow. "Let's continue moving tomorrow.'

I find myself agreeing with Sam and slumping back onto the ground. The snow is getting more intense at night and it will be harder to move. But partially because I just wanna collapse on the snow.

My eyes soon drift into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Nathan's POV

"Nathan?" A distant voice calls after me. It was soft and gentle like the like snow under my boots.

I squint my eyes and look around, but all I see is a blurred frozen landscape. Rubbing my eyes I peer forward but it seemed to do little. Okay, that was really unsettling. Even before I became Crusaders sharpshooter my eyes had been my best asset, from spotting frogs in Arcadia's swamps, then spotting targets from a mile away.

"Nathan? Are you still there?" The voice calls again, this time I catch a faint glimmer through the snow. This was followed by the steady crunch of boots against the snow.

For a moment my mind was a blur, then I finally remember the handgun strapped to my belt. I fumble with the holster to pull it out for a few seconds, by the time I free it the shimmer was taking shape of a human.

With trembling hands I point my gun at it.

"Woah Nathan. You won't actually shoot me will you?" Persephone's voice says, not hiding her surprise.

Slowly my vision clear somewhat, and I see Persephone's SPI armor blending with the snow, though her visor is still it's normal gold. She reaches her gloved hand lowers my gun. "What's the matter Nathan?"

"I'm fine." I say, smacking the side of my helmet.

She shakes her head. "No you're not. You didn't see me."

I blink at her.

"You could always see people a mile away. Even in bad weather you could still spot us." She explains."

I didn't know how to reply. In truth I was a little touched that Persephone bothered remembering all that. Instead I bite my lip and finally take a deep breath. "Yes. I don't feel so good."

"What are your symptoms?" Persephone asks, pulling the medical kit from her back and pulling it out.

"Blurred vision, dizziness, shivering, fatigue-" I continue to report a long list of symptoms I've been feeling as I rest against a rock. Persephone nods, typing them down onto her mini computer that comes with the Medkit.

A second later a few lights beep and she mutters to herself as she reads the screen. "Hypothermia."

"What?" I look up at her nervously, hoping I didn't hear her right. But instead she simply nods her head in confirmation. "Unfortunately, yes. So we better get you some warmth soon."

Our COMs suddenly snap to life. "Persephone, what the hell is the hold up?" An angry voice yells.

"Nathan has Hypothermia." Persephone explains. "I need help bringing him to shelter."

There was a brief pause before Andrew speaks again. "Alright, I'm coming back."

A few minutes later another figure takes shape through the snow, although this time is lacks Persephone's slender build and is a lot bulkier and slightly hunched. Andrew trudges through the snow, he's weighed down by his flamethrower as he approaches us.

"I found a cave a short ways down. We could probably make it by nightfall if we leave now." He says, strapping his NA4/Defoliant Projector to his back. "Can you walk?" He grunts, not sounding happy with having to walk all the way back.

"I'm fine." I snap defensively at him.

Even with his helmet I know Andrew's rolling his eyes. I take a few steps before my dizziness becomes too much. I stumble around and hit the wall.

Behind me Andrew chuckles and I feel myself being lifted off the ground. "Come on Persephone, let's go." Andrew says calmly, hoisting my on his shoulder like a sack of flour.

I let out a string of curses while Andrew down the pass. He soon shows us the cave and enters, accidentally banging my head on the ceiling.

"Sorry." He mutters and sets me down on the floor. Persephone is already sprawled on the ground by the time we arrive. "What took you guys so long?"

"Well you didn't have to drag your boyfriend here." Andrew retorts.

"I'm not her boyfriend!" I yell back angrily. Persephone removes her helmet and shoots him a warning glare.

Her eyes flash with irritation. "Could you please just lay of Nathan for once. He's freezing to death and you're jokes are not helping."

The bulky Spartan looks a little intimidated and he backs up a step, raising his arms up defensively. "Sorry." He mutters quietly. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Well it isn't helping." I growl, struggling to climb to my feet, though they nearly give way underneath me.

Persephone looks back at me. "And as for you." Her fierce expression softens as she speaks softly. "Go get some rest."

She didn't need to tell me twice, my eyelids flutter close as I feel myself collapse on the snow.

* * *

It had only felt like a few minutes since I'd fallen asleep when I feel something heavy drop in front of me. I open my eyes groggily to see a carcass of a dead animal in front of me. Andrew folds his arms and pulls the knife out of it's flank. "I brought dinner."

I stare at him blankly then blink. "Um, ok. A few questions."

"When you fell asleep I decided to get some food." He twirls his knife and points the blade at the corpse. "Found this thing at some of the lower slopes."

The creature seemed to resemble a deer, with small antlers and white fur, though it seems to be about half a deers size. I rub my eyes and Andrew begins to set up cooking equipment,

I didn't know there were any animals on Onyx. Andrew shrugs and starts a fire with his flamethrower. "Dunno. No one really explored most of the world. I guess there are still some things we don't know about this place."

"Ya." I mutter to myself and move closer to the fire he started. I remove my gloves and allow the flames to warm up my hands, but I was still freezing.

Andrew adds some more things to the fire, rocks and sticks. The air is sharp with smoke and firelight flickered as he attaches the deer thing to a stick and spins it around the fire. Persephone is asleep against one of the caves walls with her MA5 resting on her lap and her fingers wrapped around it.

Her helmet is off and a few strands of her raven black hair are covering her face.

"How long was I out?" I ask to Andrew who's twirling his prize around the flames and checks the color.

"A few hours. It should be about nightfall now." He says, pulling the stick up to see the deer if it's properly cooked. "So are you feeling better? I could have sworn you were turning blue."

I rub the side of my head. "Seriously? Ya. A little bit." I poke the fire a bit with a stick. "Thanks for the fire, and the food."

He smiles, pulling out a knife and begins cutting a leg out and hands it to me. "Eat. You'll feel better once you eat."

I look at it reluctantly and take a bite. The meat takes a bit gamey, yet still juicy and crispy. "Good." I say as I notice him fiddling with his knife nervously. "Problem?"

Andrew takes a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Listen man. I'm sorry if I've been giving you a hard time. I was just messing around."

Looking at his face I find it hard to be mad at him. "It's alright, although maybe you could lighten up on the jokes. Sometimes it gets to me, especially since I'm the worst fighter on the team."

He pounds me on the back that I nearly fall over. "Aww don't say that. I don't think I've ever seen someone who could shoot a can out of Sergeant Hedge's hands." Andrew smirks. "Besides, I could always teach you everything you know."

From the corner of my vision I see Persephone smiling.

* * *

Percy's POV

I don't think I ever wanted to be awoken with gunfire. "Damn it Percy, wake up!" Sam screams while simultaneously firing her shotgun.

My eyes flash open in an instant as she shoves me aside. Gunfire pours from the underbrush, painting the ground I was sleeping on blood red.

"Finally." She mutters, kicking me an M6.

I roll to the side and fire back. The bush explodes as three of my rounds tear through it, this was followed by a pained shriek.

The gunshots stop for a minute. "Donuts down!" A deeply southern voice shouts. "Grif, start distributing extra ammunition."

"Uh"

"Simmons, start distributing extra ammunition that you brought because you knew Grif would forget."

I crouch beside Sam whose SPI armor plates meld to various shades of green. I check my ammo counter and nod. "We better make a run for it while they're distracted."

Sev shakes her head and her acknowledgement light winks red. "What? No, we have to attack now while they're out of ammo."

"Sev look, we're not in a position to fight them. We need to go now, before we're overrun." I protest.

'No!" She explodes angrily. She points at Sarge's squad and a few other marines still reloading their rifles. "I'm not running anymore."

Without another word, she leaps over the long she's taking cover behind and charges. Sam fires her shotgun at them, screaming at the top of her lungs.

She drops two marines and Grif as he's trying to load his battle rifle. She swings the butt of her shotgun and whacks the side of Simmon's head before turning to Sarge. "Don't move another step little lady." He warns, raising his own shotgun at her.

Same hocks her leg behind him a yanks. Sarge tumbled under her leg and his shot goes wide. Sam points own shotgun at him. With speed that belied his age the aging Staff Sergeant pulls out his handgun and fires at her ankle.

"Fuck!" She shouts as her leg buckles.

Sarge flails like a fish and soon he finds himself straddling her with his gun pointed at her visor. "You just got Sarged." He growls right before a bright red paint pellet explodes from the side of his helmet.

I sprint forward and asses the damage on her leg. A blob of paint surrounds her leg like a cast, which left it stiff and hard as a rock. "Can you move your leg?" I ask, nervously glancing at the marines gathering not too far away.

"What do you think?" She growls through gritted teeth.

"Hey, nobody told you to charge forward." I shout back, firing my assault rifle one handed at the approaching marines. They scramble for cover and return fire.

One round glances off my SPI armor and hits my side. I feel a suddenly jolt of pain, then goes numb.

Cursing silently, I grab Sam by her leg and begin to drag her away, firing my pistol at the marines. Sam fires her own pistol.

Bullets whiz over my head and past my shoulder as I keep moving. Three soldiers are chasing us with guns blazing. Adrenaline pumps at legs as I will myself to keep going. I stumble on a rock and knock Sam into it by accident. "Sorry." I mutter.

The soldiers soon vanish in the thickets, leaving me alone with Sam.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I shout, after catching my breath. I dump her on the ground and points a finger accusingly at her.

"I was trying to help." She growls back. "I saw a chance to take out the enemy so I took it."

I throw my hands up in the air. "Seriously? All I saw was you almost getting beaten. If you keep charging in like that, you're not just gonna get yourself killed, but all of us."

That last part seems to strike home as she cringes suddenly and I see a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. He shoulders slump as she looks down at the ground. "You're right." She says softly, followed by a soft whimpering sound that came out of her lips.

In the years I've never heard her admit she was wrong, or look that defeated. As much as I hated to admit it, her unshakable confidence was something I always admired about her.

Taking a deep breath, I calm myself down. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No." She says quietly, her lips trembling as she avoids my gaze.

"Are you sure?" I inch closer beside her. I know I was pressing her, but I didn't care. Seeing her haunted expression, I knew she needed to let her feelings out.

She takes a deep breath and composes herself. "The day the Covenant attacked, I made a vow. That I would never be helpless before them or anyone."

I lock gazes with her and nod for her to keep going. If there was one thing that's always been a sore topic for the Spartans here it's talking about their lives before being conscripted. At best it gets you angry looks, at worse a punch in the face.

"When the Covenant attacked, I was terrified. I had know idea what I was doing or where to go. So there I was, a six year old girl crying in the streets as I watched aliens burn my homeworld. Eventually my parents and brother found me. They told me to run, but I guess I was too afraid to move."

She tries to breath but chokes out a sob as I notice tears in her face. "Sev?" I ask uncertainly. "You don't have to continue."

"No, I got this." She says firmly, and for once I believe her. Just when he was about to hug me, a camouflaged elite slashed a sword at him, cut right through his arms."

She shudders as if she can still see her brother in front of her. "I felt his blood on me, seeping into my shirt. When he swung again his blade grazed my face and gave me this." She points at the scar on her face. After that it turned on my parents."

"Sam." I breath out and gently hug her.

"I lost my family that day, cause I was too cowardly to do anything." She sobs, burying her face into my shoulder.

"You were just a kid Sam. There was nothing you could have done." I remind her, gently stroking her hair. "And, Crusader is you're family now Sam. I promise you will all make it through this."

For a moment, there was no sound except for the howling winds and snow. The two of us sit on together until she finally looks up, her face still unsure but now her eyes which were haunted and dead a moment ago, no brim with a little life. "But it will take both of us to keep them together." I climb to my feet.

"Promise?" She says in a softer tone than I've ever heard from her,

"Promise." I smile, and offer my hand. She accepts and I hoist her to her feet. I brush some snow off her shotgun and offer it to her butt first.

She takes it and pumps a round. "Then let's go. I think I have a plan."


	6. Chapter 6

**Persephone's POV**

"You see that?" Nathan asks from above me. He's somehow managed to shimmy up a tree above me and is looking into the scope of his sniper rifle.

I squint my eyes and peer through the foliage, but all I see are the trees. "No." I reply, shaking my head.

I feel a slight nudge at my side as Nathan lowers his sniper rifle to me, butt first. Shouldering the rifle, careful to balance it as I adjust it to my lap. "Thanks."

He nods and removes the scope of his DMRs using that instead. "Bottom right." He says as I peer into the sniper. The Oracle scope gives everything a green tint, not that I minded. Green was one of my favorite colors.

Shifting the gun to the direction he's pointing at, I see three figures outlined in a darker shade of green the dense forests. Along with that there is a Warthog light reconnaissance vehicle half hidden under the trees. It's white paint job hiding itself well against the snow covered flora.

"What do you make of it?"

The sniper chuckles. "I doubt the Chief would be so kind as to send a rescue party." He turns to me and uses his index and forefinger to make a quick gesture on his faceplate. The Spartan equivalent of a smile. "If you wanna throw in the towel that's fine."

I return the gesture and grin at him. "Fine, but don't come to me when someone shoots a TTR a you're balls."

Nathan's opens his mouth, but all that comes out is a high pitched sound. "You're seriously not going to let me live that down?" He says, his voice cracking as he continues to talk.

"Absolutely not." I smirk.

"Guys," Andrew cuts in from his COMs. "I found something."

"Andrew! What the hell are you doing?" Nathan sputters. I resist the urge to giggle. He's so unlike those stoic, silent types I see on the old movies in my datapad, Nathan's such a big ditz.

There was a brief pause. "I was eavesdropping on you." He says flatly.

Nathan sighs and begins to climb down. "Alright, we're coming." He slides both his feet over one side when I clear my throat and point at the three marines.

"I got a clear shot, I can probably take them out now." I aim the guns until the first marines head aligns with the crosshair.

"No." He replies simply. I look up from the scope at him. I couldn't have heard him right.

"Why?"

"Because Persephone, we take them out now, we lose our chance to learn more about them. If we follow them we'll be able to find their camp, see how many of them there are, and if we're lucky find the others."

That last sentence is what got me. Find the others. Although I never told my teammates, I spent the whole time worrying about Percy and Sam. My mind was racing to the possible scenarios that could happen to them. Capture. Hypothermia. Sudden heart attack. (Ok maybe the last one is a bit out there.)

"Alright." I give him back the rifle. "But that would mean one of us will stay here and watch these guys."

Nathan was already zooming in the gun and getting back down to his original position. "I got it."

I nod gratefully and leap of my branch. Landing on the balls of my feet I instinctively pull out my SMG and sweep around for potential threats. Once satisfied that there no one, I sprint behind the tree to Andrew position.

He was in a clearing, kneeling down and examining the dirt with a stick. "Look at this." He says, not looking up from the ground. I glance down and see what he's looking at. A couple of footprints that match the boots of Sam and Percy.

"It looks like Percy and Sam's alright. And by the looks of it, they were here only a couple hours ago." He says, poking his stick into one of the tracks.

I feel my spirits lift as I hear this. That means they can't be too far away. Suddenly Nathan's sniper cracks as a round is discharged. Followed by the sustained fire of rifles.

Me and Andrew whirl around with our guns at the ready. He nods and me and we both sprint back to Nathan's position.

Nathan's still up his tree, he fires sniper back down at three marines firing up at him. One of his shots hit the guy in the middle squarely in the face. The other two fire their rifles at him which causes Nathan to scrunch up behind the leaves even more.

"I got him!" One of the marines shouts as he drops to one knee and fires his sniper. His round flies right past Nathan and hits the a meter above him.

"Damnit!" He curses before my SMG spats out a three round burst at him.

"You suck Church!" The third marine cries as she fires her M6 at me. This was before someone unloads a barrage of rifle fire. The marine topples with her back completely coated in red.

Andrew appears behind her with his assault rifle smoking. "Got her." He rests his gun on his shoulder.

"Nice shot." I grin at him.

He steps closer to give me a high-five when another burst of rifle fire comes out from the trees and hits him in the shoulder. I lower my rifle and take aim when another shot blows my gun out of my hands.

I jump out of the way as the bush explodes from gunfire. Nathan raises his sniper rifle and fires a pair of rounds into the plants. This was followed by a grunt and a wounded marine comes out, his entire arm covered in paint from TTR rounds.

Me and Andrew advance, kicking his battle rifle away from him. "Don't move." Andrew growls, holding a handgun with his numb hand hanging limply.

He doesn't say anything as the team sniper drops down from the tree. "Not so tough no sir." He says underneath his helmet it's plainly obvious that he's grinning.

"Just wait till this stuff wears off." He growls back, though surprisingly he lacks the usual aggression the other drill sergeants have. The nametag of his uniform says David. The rest is covered with mud and snow.

A smile curves my face as I remember David. He was one of the youngest trainers and least aggressive here, at the age of 16 and would have been a Spartan had he been a bit younger.

"Can I see those tracks guys?" Nathan asks, slipping his sniper to his back. "I might be able to track them."

I nod at him, but Andrew points his pistol to David. "What about him?

Nathan only shrugs. "He won't go anywhere."

The captured marine looks at us and raises an eyebrow. "Really now? And why the hell not would I stay put?"

The sniper folds his arms. "Easy. Right now the rest of your squad has been disabled and you're the only one who could possibly defend them. If you leave to follow us when we leave then you're leaving them exposed to the elements, wild animals, and the rest of our squad."

His eyes narrow towards him. "What makes you think I'll not just leave them here."

Nathan meets his gaze. "Because we know you."

I was at a loss for words. I never knew that Nathan was so calculating. I meet his gaze and his helmet is a mask that hides his true emotions. He looks down at the private whose face is still impassive, but laced with defeat.

He doesn't wait for the disabled soldier to reply before turning away and leaving.

Me and Andrew exchanged uneasy glances before following him. As I pass the 'dead' recruits, I dig around their bag till I find what I'm looking for. A two foot long metal rod.

I flick it on and then hear a faint sizzling noise. Nodding. I clip it to my belt and join the others.

Nathan's in the clearing. He's kneeling down at the footprints a while ago and stares intently at it as if in deep thought.

I patrol the perimeter of the clearing, holding my SMG with both hands. Andrew watches our flank as he tries to wash the paint off his armor with some water from his canteen. The paint easily washes off, but his entire arm is still stiff when he tries moving it.

I pull out the baton and strike it at his shoulder. The baton sends an electric jolt through him which causes his SPI armor to spark.

"Damn that stings!" He hisses then flexes his arm which moves like it does normally now. "Thanks."

I nod and and put the Tactical Training Baton away.

Finally when he looks up he says. "There was a fight, Sams wounded."

"How the hell do you know that?" Andrew demands.

He points at one of the footprints. "Looks here. This smaller pair is clearly Sam's. In this prints you see one leg consistently doesn't put as much weight as the other." He then picks up something from the bush that shines under the sunlight.

Nathan holds it out for us to see that it's a spent shotgun round. "Between that and the damaged bushes, it looks like there was a gun fight."

The second time today Nathan impressed me with his skills. "Forget being a Spartan, you should be one of those guys who investigates crime scenes." Andrew says, letting out a long whistle.

"Ya, like in those old crime shows I watch on my datapad." I add.

My two squadmates tilt their heads in confusion. "How did you get that on your data pad?"

"Kat found a way to download stuff like that on it."

Nathan shakes his head in disbelief. "Anyway, we gotta get going. There's a long walk ahead of us."

"Actually, I got another idea." Andrew tugs at our shoulders and leads us away.

* * *

 **Sam's POV**

"Um, Percy. Are you sure this is a good idea?" I ask the Spartan crouching beside me.

He gives me that cocky grin that always makes me want to punch him in the face, then high five. "Not really. But it's the only idea I got."

"Right." I mutter as I peer from the bushes as we keep looking at our objective. The drill sergeants tree fort. Despite just being recently made, the post was well fortified. With machine guns on the railing, a Pelican at the landing pad and a Warthog ready to move at a moment's notice.

It was easy enough to find. Me and Percy just shadowed a patrol of inattentive marines who easily led us back here.

He pushes me down lower as a trio of marines pass us. "Ready?" He whispers, pulling a flashbang out of his belt.

I grip my shotgun and crouch down as I prepare to fire. After almost a day of sitting in the background while he handled the fighting, I was eager for blood.

"Just take the ones who try to run away." He reminds me, either not caring or noticing my disappointment. As much as I hated it I was a liability with my essentially crippled leg.

Pulling the pin out, he hurls the grenade before tucking and rolling. A soldier opens his mouth to scream a split second before the grenade hits the ground.

A flash of light and a loud bang follows which causes me to instinctively take cover. When I get back up the marines are still rubbing their eyes, trying to rub off the effects of the flashbang.

Percy appears behind one, through the mist like a phantom ready to strike at its next victim.

With a knife and pistol in each hand he attacks. He slams the hilt of his knife at the neck of the nearest one before firing his pistol at those beside him. The three of them drop as the remaining men have the good sense to return fire.

Their assault rifles tear through the air easily and leave Percy scrambling for cover. He manages to dive behind a snow covered rock.

I try to move my leg; it still feels like it's made of lead wrapped around a wooden splint.

"Shit, shit, shit." I mutter, dropping on all fours and looking around our packs for anything that can help. Cursing silently as I'm helpless to do anything. Mt heart does a flip as the marines approach Percy's position.

They stop firing for a moment. Percy pokes his head out and they quickly continue their barrage.

Finally I find an MA5 in Percy's bag that he captured from another patrol. "Percy." I yell, throwing him the gun. "Catch."

He easily catches it and slams a fresh clip into it. "Thanks." He grins, peering out to return fire, but is kept back by sustained bursts.

The remaining three marines advance, keeping him pinned. I drop down to my belly in a firing position.

Slowly pushing the barrel of my shotgun out of the bushes. I take aim at the nearest marine and feel my smile begin to form as I pull the trigger. The soldier falls with a shocked expression and paint on half his face plus his shoulder.

The gunfire falters and the two marines exchange surprised looks. Percy leaps out and rolls out his rock. He gets onto one knee and fires his MA5 in full auto. One soldier drops as he's hit by a dozen rounds.

There's only one marine left who looks at the two of us and makes the smart choice of retreating. Percy nods to me and I fire again at the ground around his feet. This gives him more encouragement to keep running. "How long?" Percy asks, checking his ammo counter and the resting the rifle at his shoulders.

He picks up a training baton and hits my leg. A sudden shock of electricity courses through the limb and spreads to the rest of my body. I shriek loudly as it feels a little less painful than actually getting shot by TTR rounds.

Percy shrugs and pats my shoulder. "There's a mild shock. Oh don't be such a baby."

I try moving my leg. It still feels a bit stiff, but at least now I can run without too much difficulty.

"About two minutes." I keep watching the retreating marine as he makes a run for the tree fortress, completely unaware that we're not pursuing him.

"So should we start running?" I ask, getting into a running position.

"Not yet." He keeps his gaze fixed on the man as he reaches the shadow of the tree, a few meters away from the rope ladder. The marine shouts and waves his arms frantically to the sentries then points in our direction.

The sentries grab their rifles and start to climb down the ladder.

"Sam." I glance to my left and see Percy at least five meters away from me and quickly widening the gap. "Now!"

"Oh you're gonna pay for this Jackson." I grin, bolting in the opposite direction.

The sentries certainly weren't expecting that and they just stare at me dumbfounded as I move past them. "Fire! Fire!" One of them shouts after a second. A machine gun suddenly cracks loudly and tiny black holes appear behind me as I run.

"Crap." I hiss, quickening my pace. My legs throb and my heart pounds as bullets whiz over my shoulder, coming dangerously close to my head. The marines are closely following me, screaming and trying to keep balance as they aim their guns.

I do some zigzags and let the marines get a bit closer to stop the machine guns from firing.

My feet practically scream for me to stop. Even though Percy shocked my leg out of its numbness, it's still nowhere near full strength and on top of that, the snow keeps slowing me down.

The only good thing about the snow is that it's slowing the marines down as well. Most of them stumble as they try to fire. The treeline was about twenty meters away. If I could reach it then I could escape into the forests and put up a better fight.

I look over my shoulder and see some of the marines are catching up. One is even loading his shotgun. I stop and do the only thing that comes to mind.

I swivel to a crouching position and open fire.

My first round strikes the marine point-blank. The others skid to halt, trying to backpedal away from my gun's effective range. I fire again and strike another in the back as he tries to retreat.

Turning around I run back to the trees, whipping my handgun back and firing. Assault rifles fire behind me in wild, uncontrolled bursts. Rounds glance off my SPI armor, leaving bits of paint on the sides.

Soon the forest trees blur past me as I keep going, making plenty of twists and turns to confuse them. I spot a crevice that might have once been a lake and dive in.

Dirt kicks into my boots at they slide into the gap. My arm hits something hard and pain explodes around it, but I manage to keep myself from screaming.

"Where did she go?" An angry voice shouts.

Another voice grunts. "I think she went over there."

The sound of crunching feet come dangerously close to me. I pull my shotgun closer and check if the bayonet is sharp enough. After a while the voices seem to vanish.

I take a deep breath and slowly climb to my feet. Had the left?

A pair of marines appear from the shadows of the forest. "Well, well. What do we have here? How long did you think you could hide from us." They grin ear to ear and level their rifles at me.

I take aim and raise my shotgun.

"You so much as breath the wrong way and you'll be cleaning paint out of yourself for a week." One steps closer with his rifle pointed at me head. The world seems to disappears as I focus all attention on them, completely forgetting my surroundings and the quickly loudening sound of engines.

I cock the pump.

"Fine then."

In unison they both open fire at full auto. But a bright light followed by a blur of white and steel moves in front of me and intercepts the bullets. It takes me a second to register the snow white jeep in front of me.

"Surprise!." Persephone stands on the passenger seat of a Warthog and sweeps her SMG at the two.

Nathan looks to me from the driver's seat. "Sup."

"Hey!" I manage to say, still trying to get an understanding of what just happened. "How did you find me?"

The drive and passenger share a glance together as if my question was a joke. Andrew takes his hands off the LAAG trigger and rests one arm on the turret. He chuckles. "Well it wasn't exactly like machine gun fire is had to miss."

I blush in embarrassment. Was I really that easy to track?

"Plus we were tracking you for almost a day." He adds. "So wheres Percy?"

Persephone stops talking and looks around, hoping to find him in the forest or something. "He is with you. Right?"

"We went in opposite directions to draw the enemy away. If things went according to plan then I can take you to the rendezvous point."

Persephone grabs my shoulders, shaking my tiny frame. "Take us to him."

I nod and hop onto the back of the hog, keeping my head right under the machine gun's barrel. Nathan steps on the pedal and the Warthog tires spin rapidly before speeding back where I came.

The forests blurs behind me as we just drive by it. This time with a fully armed Hog and a team of four Spartans, none of the marines looking for me put up much of a fight.

The jeep bounces heavily as it passes over the snow covered rocks, throwing me around in the back. "I hope he's ok." Persephone mutters, fidgeting her fingers nervously.

Nathan takes one hand off the wheel and grips his gloved hand around hers. I allow myself a small smiles as I see the two. I make a mental note to ask Andrew what happened between these two later.

"This way." I point as the hog approaches a cave in the middle of the forest. We were about a mile off from where me and Percy and I split up. Even though the sun was at its peak it was still freezing, but at least the snow had weakened.

Nathan pulls the jeep to a stop and leaps off.

Me and Persephone leads with Nathan watching our flanks and Andrew guarding our rear. "I don't see him anywhere." She mutters.

I veer off to the trees and inspect the trunks of some of them. I wipe snow off one with a horseshoe shaped symbol, but with the two ends extending.

An Omega.

"He's here." I reply, pointing at the letter.

Then, at the corner of my eyes some of the shadows in a tree part. The others notice is too and turn to face it with their weapons drawn. The shadows changes color from pitch black to solid white.

Percy makes a smile gesture and golds his arms. "Well, looks like we're all here."

Persephone doesn't wait and runs up to give him a big hug. "I'm glad you're safe little bro." She whispers, burying her head on his shoulder plate.

"I missed you too sis." He returns the hug and then looks at the rest off us, nudging her. Persephone looks up and her helmet dips downwards, clearly bashful of her little outburst.

"Why weren't you in the cave? I thought we agreed to meet up there?" I inquire.

"I was scouting the fortress and I think I found our ticket back to base." He crouches down and picks up a stick, drawing the tree fort in the snow. He then adds a long line on top and a crude picture of a plane. "I found out there's a pelican there which we can use to pilot back to base."

Andrew grunts. "Ya, but what about the turrets and all the guards."

Percy removes his helmet and smooths his hair behind him. "I have an idea, but I need a warthog, a flamethrower, and a lot of snow."

* * *

Percy's POV

"This is your brilliant plan?" Sam asks quizzically. She glances at the pile of snow Andrew and Nathan are piling up with shovels and raises an eyebrow.

I nod, shrugging of her complaints. "Ya. I know it will work. I think after this time you'd learn to trust my plans."

She slips her helmet back on and gives me a lopsided smile and ruffles my hair. "You know you're last plan almost gotten me killed."

"Ya, but we found the others and stayed alive for a bit longer." I remind her, moving my arm forward to gesture Persephone, who's now driving the Warthog. She parks it a couple feet away from the snow mound.

"Anyway. Is everyone clear on the plan?" Four green acknowledgement lights wink on.

I nod to Andrew who pulls out his flamethrower and flames stream out of the barrel. He moves the weapon around to let the flames move in a swaying motion. The fires only lightly brush up against the snow and slowly it begins to melt. It was almost artistic on how Andrew handles the weapon, like an artist with his paintbrush.

More importantly the melted snow produces steam as well. "Alright Persephone, I think we might need some more snow."

She nods and shovels more snow in.

I climb onto the Warthogs passenger seat. Same grins and hops onto the machine gun turret. She gives me a mock salute and discharges an empty shell. Nathan in position on his tree with his sniper ready. "All good up there?"

He presses the black button on top of the scope and adjusts position. "Thermals are functioning just fine. All good." He gives me the thumbs up.

Once the mist was thick enough, covering the area a few feet forward. Persephone joins us in the driver's seat and starts the ignition. Snow is kicked up from the tires and the hog accelerates through the mist. "What's the status with the marines."

"A bit confused, but their guns are ready."

"Then let's show ourselves." I grin. In one swift motion, Sam swivels the turret up at the trees and open fires. Bullets scythe in a long arc, hitting vines, leaves and hapless marines who were taken by surprise.

In the seconds it takes the marines to adjust the machine guns we've covered half of the distance. The rapid fire weapons splatter the front of our jeep with pink and red. "Crap." Persephone mutters and tries to use the windshield wipers to get the paint off to now avail.

One nearly hits Sam who hides behind the LAAG to avoid getting hit.

"Nathan, some covering fire please."

Two shots followed by a pair of vapor trails strike knock two of the machine gunners out. I stand on the passenger's seat to help navigate. "Left!"

My sister swerves to a hard left to avoid a rock. "Open fire!" One of the marines points at our hog and fires his sidearm. A few of them are able to rally and fire at us.

Persephone veers off wildly to avoid gunfire. One stray round hits the wheel and splashes all over the rubber. The warthog tumbles and turns violently as the bad wheel bounces and and unbalances the whole jeep.

Sam shrieks as she's nearly thrown off the turret. "Hold on!" Persephone grits her teeth as she tries to regain control of the Warthog.

My sister turns the wheel in a sharp right turn. Unfortunately for us, she underestimated the weight of the jeep. It crashes on its side and rolls on the snow, throwing all three of us free from our seats.

I slam face first into the snow, hearing the loud thud of my SPI armor hitting the ground and likely denting. But if it wasn't for the nanocrystals in my undersuit, I probably would have been flattened and broken every bone in my body. The gunfire stops for a moment as the fortress defenders watch in horror.

Nathan screams my sisters name while Andrew curses and I hear his feet crunching under the snow towards us. Groaning loudly, I try to move but I feel like every part of my body is made of molten lead and the only thing I manage is a weak crawl.

The others fared a bit better. It took some effort with my blurry vision, but I spot Sam's distorted form pulling herself to her feet and limping to the overturned jeep.

Persephone is holding onto to her assault rifle like a crutch as she climbs up from the ground. She's a bit dazed but gives Sam a thumbs up. "Wheres Percy?"

She scans the surroundings before her gaze looks onto me. "There!"

My sister hands Sam her assault rifle. "Cover me." The fiery close quarter specialist looks at the weapon in her hands then nods in determination. Moving from out of the cover of the Warthog Sam open fires at the tree house.

The marines were shocked to see us still standing and hastily return fire as Persephone jogs towards me. "Get up Percy!" She shouts, though her voice seems to grow distant.

"Get up!" She shouts again and it sounds garbled like she's underwater.

The third time her voice was a lot softer.

Then nothing.

 **Author's** **note: Thanks guys for following and favoriting. I really appreciate your support in me. I know I've been taking a while to update, but keep in mind that I have to write and edit this. If I update faster it would mean sacrificing quality. So please bear with me as update.**


	7. Chapter 7

**No POV**

"Percy!" His sister shouts, taking a step closer towards him when a burst of pink and red at her feet cause her jump back and take cover behind her team's ruined vehicle. Meanwhile her brother was still sprawled in the snow. The only signs of life in him is his occasional movements.

"That's it. I'm coming over there!" Andrew shouts. "I need some cover."

Sam crouches down and moves closer to the tree fort and fires her shotgun at the guards. From the corner of her eyes, Persephone see Nathan leaping off from the tree and running towards them, with Andrew at his heels.

Though none of the guards are yet to notice him yet, it was only a matter of time for one of them to spot him. Without thinking Persephone gets up and sprints forward to where Percy is lying, dodging the bullets until I grab him by his arms just as he's getting to his feet. "Let's go." I practically drag him back to our makeshift defense.

He stumbles around, tripping on the snow and on his own feet as I keep pulling him forward, then shove him forward just as a shot from a sharpshooter narrowly misses his head.

The marksman shouts in frustration and takes aims again. This time his gun was aimed at me as he pulls the trigger. "Get back!" A pair of strong hands grabs me by my shoulders and pulls me behind him.

Andrew grunts as the paint round thankfully glances off one of the heavy armor plates on his shoulder. "Go, go." He pushes me to Nathan who's already reached the overturned Hog. The heavy weapon specialist for his part ignites his flamethrower which even though the effective range falls short of the tree, still causes marines to back away.

After a couple seconds of sustained fire he breaks his attack and doodles to our position.

"Last one, better make it count." Nathan places an extra clip into his sniper. "How are you feeling Percy?"

He flexes his body a little. Once satisfied that nothing seems permanently injured he gives his team a thumbs up. "Alright Crusader." Percy kneels down as his team crouches around him. "This is the last leg of the mission. We take the fortress, then we take the Pelican and head home."

Everyone bobs their head in understanding.

"Then we need a plan." Percy continues, pointing at certain points in the enemy position then marking them in the snow. "Persephone and Nathan, take the northern post. Secure the ladder there and assault the northern post. Watch each others back. Sam and Andrew, you're with me. We assault the south post and take it. We meet up in the middle."

Four green lights wink in acknowledgment.

"Excellent." Percy grins and readies his rifle. "On my mark."

Three heartbeats later, he drops his fist. "Mark!"

At once both Persephone and Nathan vault over the hog, the later quickly shouldering his rifle and dropping to one knee as he fires upwards. His shoot finds his mark and takes out the sharpshooter.

Sam follows suite and sprints forward to the east side of the south tower. As she moves cautiously a trio of guards approach with stun batons. Andrew stands up and nods at Percy, giving him his _I got this gesture_.

He leaps in front of them and sets the ground in front of them in fire. The marines back off as Percy leaps through the flames, dual wielding his pistol and assault rifle. He fires a few shots from both his guns and watches as the three marines drop down.

Andrew whoops loudly and raises his weapon in the air. From behind the flames he looks like some insane anarchist. The two move in, staying by the trees western circumference. Another marine steps in with his sidearm ready.

Percy grabs the marines wrist and twists it until his gun falls out of his hand while Andrew smacks the marine in the back with the butt of his weapon. Sam appear on front of them and sweeps another marine off his feet and fires at his fallen body.

Andrew and Sam secure the area before pointing his rifle at the ladder. "Crusaders prepare to scale the wall!" Percy shouts, begging to climb up the metal ladder.

"Just like in Jerusalem in 1099." Andrew laughs and joins me.

"Deus Vult." Sam raises her gun like a sword and grips the metal rail.

The three Spartans climb the ladder, firing their weapons at the occasional sentry to spot them. When they reach the top the platform was strangely devoid of any guards.

"Where is everybody?" Percy asks, sweeping his assault rifle cautiously as he walks across the wooden floor. "Fan out." Andrew and Sam move in different directions, securing the landing pad and the crow's nest and the deck of the deck of the entire building.

Sam presses her back against the walls beside the door of the command center. He nudges his head to the door and Andrew approaches with his own M6 ready.

Percy raises kneels down and takes point, aiming his rifle and raising his fist in the air. He counts to three then snaps his arm down.

Sam whirls forward and kicks the door open and storms in followed by Andrew. The room was completely dark, disregarding the dim blinking lights of the terminals and computers. The two Spartans stop in the middle of the room, scouring the room for any enemy targets hidden in the dark.

"Clear." Andrew reports, seemingly disappointed.

Percy comes back in, squinting his eyes as the only thing he sees in the room are the glowing blue visors of his two squadmates. "Then where the hell is everybody?" He mutters, flicking on the lights.

The sound of gunfire coming from outside causes the trio to jump back. The Spartans run out to see that the area was still deserted. "It came from over here." Sam says, not breaking her stride to the rope bridge that connects the two trees.

Her two compatriots follow her and the gunfire seems to intensify. "That doesn't sound good." Percy growls, speeding up until he's pulled ahead of Sam.

They turn a corner to the landing pad where all the fighting is taking place. Nathan and Persephone standing back to back together behind a pile of scattered supply crates.

Around the pair are about a dozen marine defenders advancing to their fortified position.

The two stand, firing their weapons at the enemy. Persephone had switched to her more compact SMG while Nathan had lost his sniper and now uses his sidearm. "Piss off!" Persephone shouts, her gun shaking wildly as she fires full auto.

The former sweeps her gun around, her bullets scything across groups of marines while the latter uses his percussion skills to take out specific marines appearing to direct them. "They need help!" Percy shouts, rolling out into the middle of the platform and fires his assault rifle.

Andrew and Sam join in, firing their weapons and scrambling for cover in some of the crates. Now being pressed against both sides, the marines lose their initiative and tactical advantage. Every time one from either party would be immobilized by a TRR round, their teammates would use TRR batons to disable it.

The fighting intensifies as both sides press in closer to gain ground but after several minutes, only the Crusaders remain. The marines 'corpses' litter on the deck all painted red with their 'blood.'

Meanwhile the Spartans had secured the rest of the fort. "Alright everyone, let's head home!" Percy shouts, slinging his rifle and taking his seat on the Pelican crew chiefs seat. "Andrew, I need you on the pilot seat."

The bulky Spartan nods and takes his seat behind the pilot's stick and powers up the engines.

"Alright, everybody prepare for dust off." Andrew announces over his COMs while the rest of his squad straps themselves to the chairs.

"This is your captain speaking, please keep your seatbelts on for the duration of the flight. Parachutes are not provided for the highly likely event of a crash landing and if you feel the need to throw up, your helmets also function as a barf bag."

The Spartans in the cabin let out a few chuckles while Andrew just rolls his eyes as the Pelicans VTOL slowly carries it off the ground and takes them back to Camp Currahee.

"I still can't believe we did it." Sam bounces on the balls of her feet as she removes her helmet to show she's grinning from ear to ear. "That was awesome!"

The sniper sitting beside her allows himself a small smile as he nods. "Aside from getting shot by a shitload of stun rounds."

"Awww don't worry bout Nate." Persephone smiles sweetly as she claps him on the shoulder. "You were amazing back there. I don't think I've ever seen anyone with as good aim and eyes as you."

Nathan blushes wildly but Persephone keeps going. "We all did pretty well if I do say so myself. I'm actually feeling a bit closer to all of you guys."

The rest of the Spartans fall silent and exchange smiles. When Percy looks back he doesn't fail to notice the change in his team's demeanor. The tension between the them seems to have broken and there's almost a calming air around when they talk.

A hand touching his shoulder gets him back to reality. Andrew grips Percy's shoulders and smiles, pointing through the viewport of the Pelican. A smile spreads across his face too when he sees what Andrew's pointing at: The horseshoe shaped buildings

of Camp Currahee. "Looks like we're home." Andrew says softly as he eases on the controls of the Pelican.

Percy nods and puts his helmet back on as he radios the command tower. "This is Pelican Beta 362. Requesting permission to land."

There was a brief pause in the radio before the voice speaks up again. "Granted. We're clearing a space for you in the hanger."

The tiny figures inside the hanger rush around, clearing space for the Pelican. Andrew maneuvers the gunship in the hanger, hovering for a bit before touching down gently onto the ground.

Percy and Andrew remove their seat belts and stand with the rest of their team. The doors let out a loud snap and the two sides as the door opens. To their surprise there were two people already waiting for them with their arms folded expectantly.

"It's about time you got back." Mendez grunts, it was a complete and approaches his Spartans. In truth he was actually quite pleased with the time it took them.

Commander Ambrose approaches the squad and gives a crisp salute which they all happily return. "It's good to see you again recruits."

"It's good to be back sir." Percy replies, standing tall.

"Indeed. Now get your asses to the Lieutenant-Commander's office for debriefing." Mendez barks. The five recruits salute again and fall in behind their commanding officers as the begin to march back to Kurt's office.

It was pretty devoid of any furnishings aside from a wooden desk made of solid oak. On it was a small computer and a mug of coffee. Behind it was a black leather desk chair. In the side of the room and a bookshelf stocked with UNSC Handbooks, books on war poetry and history textbooks. On the other side was the air conditioner and a walled with an assortment of both Human and Covenant weapons mounted on it.

Commander Ambrose pulls the chair back and takes a seat. Mendez walks up behind him and remains standing at his right while Crusader forms a single line in front of them and stands in attention.

"So, do any of you know the history of the First Crusade?" Kurt asks immediately, getting straight to the point.

"I've done a little reading on it sir." Persephone replies, stepping forward. "It was a Holy War called upon by Pope Urban II to the kingdoms of Europe in 1096. This was called to fight against the Seljuk Turks and drive them out of the Holy lands. A number of Princes and Lords answered the call and it was known as the Princes Crusade."

Mendez and Kurt look at each other for a moment, as if having a mental conversation before turning back. Though there was something in their eyes that does not escape the notice of the recruits standing before them. Pain.

"That is correct." The Chief nods. "But in reality is was actually an answer to he request for aid from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. He asked Pope Urban for help in retaking parts of his empire. Do you know why he did that?"

The recruits, even Persephone shakes their heads. Mendez takes a deep breath and pauses for a few seconds before continuing his lecture. "Because the Byzantine Empire was on its last legs. It's armies were in shambles and most of her most valuable territories were lost. The First Crusade was meant to be shot in the dark. The magic bullet that would buy time for his empire to rebuild and regroup as he puts it, to continue being the bulwark of the west against the Turks."

The five teens listen to Mendez, taking everything he has to say. Though they begin to shift around their feet nervously. Finally, Percy steps forward and speak up. "With all due respect sir. What does this have to do with us?"

Kurt looks up from his desk stares Percy in the eye before smiling sadly. Even Mendez's normally granite hard expression softens up to something a bit kinder. "Well trainee. Even now nearly one thousand five hundred years later history continues to repeat itself. The UEG finds itself in the place of the failing Byzantine empire. Surrounded on all sides, outnumbered and outmatched by an alien foe."

The recruits nod in understanding.

"Well just like the Byzantines we need our own Magic bullet. You recruits, you Spartans are our stab in the dark. Those Crusader Princes have passed down the torch to you."

They all nod, letting the information sink in. For the next minute or so no one speaks. None of them knew what to say. One on hand, they always suspected that the Spartans were an important part in keeping the Covenant back, and from some bits of information they heard from the marines the war was not going well.

But it never occurred to any of them just how important their role was. It feels like something coiled tightly around Percy's chest. For the first time he was truly terrified of becoming a Spartan. Not for himself, but for the people he's fighting for. Now he realized how much was at stake. By the looks of it the rest of his friends realize it.

* * *

Kurt walks through the empty halls of the UNSC Hopeful. As he passes through one of the large rectangular glass windows, he pauses and takes a look. Outside was the hanger the candidates have assembles from their Pelicans.

"Sir." A doctor in a labcoat approaches him and takes him from his musings. He nods at him and hands him a datapad. "The first batch is ready for their procedure."

"Thank you." Kurt nods in return, taking his datapad and reading its content. It contained the procedure details and the list of candidates. All 300 had agreed to go through with their augmentations.

Today was their final step to becoming Spartans.

A small smile tugs across his lips as he feels like a proud father watching his kids graduate. He returns the datapad to the doctor before beginning to walk towards the operating room. "Then send them in doc."

The doctor places his tablet back into the pocket of his lab coat before following Kurt.

Inside the surgical area, doctors have begun leading the first group of candidates in. The room was divided into four hundred different sections. Each candidate had their own room which was crammed with machines, biomonitors, trays filled with tools, sedatives and other drugs to be used. An IV racks is set beside the bed and is filled with what appears to be blood. The only thing in front that covers the room was a semi-opaque curtain.

A full tenth of the company were present and each one was assisted by a group of doctors and techs. Kurt stops walking at the last section as the candidate lingers outside the room. Persephone-B312 looks a bit pale as she looks at all the medical equipment. Her helmet was set on the table beside her so he could easily see her newly shaved head and face. "Come to say goodbye sir?" She glances up at him.

While her brother was the unquestionable leader of Crusader, Persephone was the most human of them and the soul of the team. She was just as intelligent and fierce as everybody in the company, but had an undeniable sweetness and was never afraid to admit her feelings.

"Problem?" Kurt asks, clasping her shoulder.

"Nothing. Just a nit nervous sir." She replies.

Kurt thinks of all the facts and statistics he could say to her about the one hundred percent survival rate of the procedures, but instead says something else. "It's alright. You're right to be afraid. From this day you're officially a Spartan and you're going to have to do some terrifying things, but you are one of the bravest girls I've ever met and you'll get through this."

The younger Spartan gives him a small nod as the tech begin to remove her SPI armor, leaving only her black undersuit. A doctor puts on a surgical mask and speaks in a calm tone to Persephone. "Alright. I'm going to administer the Anesthesia. Are you ready?"

"Yes sir." Persephone answers and keeps her voice steady, though her hand is shaking quite a bit. Kurt grabs her hand and grips is reassuringly as the doctor places an Anesthesia mask on her.

Soon her eyes begin to flutter close as she struggles to stay awake. "I….I feel sleepy Lieutenant."

"That's alright Persephone." Kurt smiles gently, brushing a some sweat from her forehead as she soon drifts off to sleep. "Sleep well recruit, you earned it."

There was a rustling in the curtains and one of the medtechs comes in. "Sir, we've sedated all recruits. I'm going to have to ask you to leave while we begin operating."

Kurt nods. "I understand. I was just about to leave." He brushes past the man as he leaves.

* * *

"Come on Persephone, focus." Sam shouts, dribbling a basketball on both hands. Persephone quickly shake my thoughts aside and get in position to block her.

She easily sidesteps Persephone and shoots the ball into the basket. "That's 8 Sam, Persephone 0."

The dark haired girl gives her friend a tiny smile and simply shrugs. "Well, you were always the better athlete Sam." With that, she pulls out a water bottle from her gym bag and starts to remove the cap.

Sam gives her a lazy grin. "Well, it certainly helped that you were too distracted staring a Nathan."

Persephone nearly chokes on her water as Sam said that. This causes her red haired friend to burst out laughing as Persephone wipes the water dripping from her chin and mouth. She playfully strangles Sam. "I most certainly have not been staring at him."

She folds her arms together and rolls her eyes. "Please Persephone. You've been staring at him so much that you probably wouldn't notice if a pair of Hunters burst in."

Her cheeks flush pink in response as her gaze drifts to the Spartan in question doing hand to hand practice with Percy.

Though she does have to admit, the augmentations did Nathan a lot of good. Even though he was just twelve, he now looks like someone a couple years older. He was a full head taller than even Andrew and his lanky frame was filled up with muscle which his gym shirt clings tightly against. Aside from that his skill have grown and now he could easily go toe to toe with anyone in our team in hand to hand. (Except Sam of course.)

Then again, all of them seems to have changed after their augmentations, not just physically

The doctors have said that they were given human growth hormone which would was to give them the appearance of someone in their late teens. Though Persephone secretly believed that it affected more than that.

Ever since she got out of the med lab she's been developing feelings towards Nathan. Whenever she sees him, her heart would race wildly, it take her a real effort not to blush and she always wants to be with him.

She forces herself to look away from him and back at Sam whos holding her basketball under the crook of her arm. She drums her fingers against the ball expectantly. "So, do you wanna talk about it?"

Persephone breathes inwardly. "Alright. I've been developing strange feelings towards someone."

"Nathan, but go on."

"I-I wanna be with him, and everytime I see him I feel my heart racing and my cheeks burn." Persephone stutters as she struggles to explain herself. Once she's finished Sam remains quiet for a moment before bursting into a fit of giggles.

This causes the rest of their team to glance up in their direction in surprise. Persephone gives them all a shy smile and they all get back to what they were doing. "Shut up."

"Hey Percy?" Nathan says, crossing both arms over his face to protect himself as Percy throws a left hook at it. He growls and throws two quick punches in return.

"Ya?" Percy dodges his attack and launches a swift kick at his stomach. Nathan recoils back but swiftly recovers and smacks Percy in the chest with the base of his palm.

"Have you noticed that Persephone has been acting differently?"

"I've noticed it too. But then again the doctor said that we would experience some behavioral changes. I'm sure it's probably nothing."

"Well did she talk to you about anything?" Nathan tries to block as Percy rains blow after blow at him. Finally one blow lands in between both hands and sends him back stumbling a bit.

Percy smirks and presses his advantage, giving Nathan two jabs on either cheek followed by a nasty uppercut. He flies back a couple feet and hits the training mat with a hard thud.

Nathan groans weakly as he's sprawled on the floor. He grips the weight lifting set for balance and tries to get up when a hand extends towards him. Percy smiles and offers his hand.

His fellow Spartan smiles and gratefully accepts the open hand. "She hasn't said a thing to me. But don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing."

Before either of them could say anything, the intercom sounds. "Would Fireteam Crusader please report to the Lieutenant-Commander's office?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Percy's POV**

I feel a cool breeze snap at my back as the last of my team enters and the doors close behind us. The Chief and Lieutenant-Commander are already waiting behind the Holo-table, dressed in their naval dress uniforms.

"Sirs." We all snap in a salute at them.

I feel a bit self-conscious as we enter to the briefing room none of us were able to change. So here me and my team, standing in our sweaty gym clothes in front of our Chief trainer.

I'd would have rather gone back to basic training and have marines open fire on us while we learned to march.

As usual the lights were tinted blue dark blue and dimmed which left most of the room darkened except for the holo table that dominates the room. Kurt gestures to me. "So how is your team recovering from the augmentations Petty Officer?"

A small smile tugs at my cheek when he uses my rank. It added a nice ring to it. "We could a couple of days, but we'll live." I reply, casting my look to Andrew who's hunched slightly and still quite pale.

He was one of the slowest to recover from the procedure and still moves rather sluggishly. But he knew Andrew was a fighter, the medics assured had him that he would be fine given another week or so.

"Good to hear." Kurt nods. "Now I'm sure you've noticed that you five have not yet received orders to ship out with the rest of your company."

The five of us bob are heads and share curious glances with each other. I've spent week since they left discussing it with Nathan. Only Crusader and a handful of others, Kat included staying behind on Onyx. The rest were given the same orders: To report to the UNSC _All Under Heaven._

"This is because you will not be joining them." He continues, pressing some buttons on the table. "You and the other Spartans have remained here been reserved for other ops."

The others were just as surprised as I was. As far as I had known the entire company was supposed to be sent in some far off sector called Pegasi Delta.

"Those of you that have been kept have been deemed far too valuable for frontline combat." Mendez takes a step forward and seems to take over our briefing.

For a dreadful minute my spirits plummet. Too valuable for front line combat? Does that mean we won't be fighting the Covenant. Then my fear quickly morphs into anger. I feel myself bristle and tighten one hand into a fist.

All those years of training-

"Just to clarify sir." Persephone chips in. Judging from the way her muscles are tensed, she isn't much happier with the idea as I am. Though she does a much better job in hiding it. "Does that mean we will not be fighting the Covenant?"

Kurt walks up to her and grips her shoulder. "Of course you'll get your chance to fight the Covenant. Just not the same way as the others."

As if to build on his statement, Mendez keys in something and the table shoots several beams upwards in angle that intersect at one point where an image forms. It was of a group of Spartan-IIIs lined up, facing to the side with some UNSC flags in the background.

"These are the Headhunters. They are a special ops group within the Spartan-IIIs." Kurt says, switching the image to that of two Spartans standing back to back with their guns raised. "With humanity steadily being pushed back, we've begun pulling units to be deployed behind enemy lines to learn more about the Covenant, sabotage their facilities and generally slow them down. You're team has been selected to join the Headhunters."

The rest of my team was just as surprised as I was. This was something I never thought of in my wildest dreams. To avenge my parents, kill Covenant and become a Spartan, but that was it. I suck in a deep breath and say the only thing that comes to mind. "I'm honored sir, but what makes us qualified."

It was a fair question. Even though everyone improved greatly as a team and as individuals we were still far from the best. If this were to be based on rankings then there were at least eight other teams more capable than us.

"If you're wondering about your ranking, then know that team ranking isn't what we're looking for when we look for Headhunters." Kurt says, as if reading my mind. "We choose them based on how well they work together. You Spartans scored 79.86. As of now you are the first members of Beta Company we recruited."

My chest swells with pride as I nod. Under her mask of discipline, I can see Persephone looks like she wants to burst out in happy giggles. Even stone faced Andrew is grinning wildly. "So what would you have us do sirs?"

"We have much to discuss." The lights dim and a bright golden sun appears with twelve planets in orbit. Cutting halfway was a massive asteroid field. "This is the Eridanus system."

The image zooms to one of the planets closest to the asteroid field. It was cratered and barren with isolated spots glowing bright red. The little sunlight that breaks through the dust filled sky reflected against glassy crust.

"Although the Covenant have glassed most of the planets here, it's still a popular space route for freighters to use. However recently ships passing their have not arrived to their intended destination. Probes sent there have found this."

From the planet, the image moves away to the asteroid field. Bits of blackened metal plates drift lazily through the edge of the asteroid field. The ghostly remains of at least five freighters hulls are left spinning in space and more morbid, the bodies of their crew still float around their vessels.

None of us could their eyes of the sight.

"Could the Covenant have done this?" Nathan breathes out.

"That was out first theory." Mendez says, shaking his head. "However upon closer investigation it revealed that the ships were destroyed with ballistic missiles instead of the usual plasma of the Covenant. That leaves the more likely possibility that its Insurrectionists. We need you Spartans to investigate that. You will be accompanying another freighter under the pretext of being part of its crew."

"Sir, if there are Insurrectionists there, then they would probably have a base there." I ask. "How will we handle that."

Mendez smirks and lights a cigar. "Don't worry Spartan. Everything will be provided for your mission. If you succeed you will be able to secure a route for us to supply more distant outposts. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir!" We all chorus.

"Then get some rest. You ship out tomorrow." We all turn at our heel and march out.

* * *

No POV

Kurt watches Crusader leave the briefing room, stroking the arm of his chair. Once they're gone he places his hand on his head and shakes it sadly.

"Problem sir?" Mendez asks, moving beside him.

"Do you think we should have told them? About who they really are?" He gets up and paces the floor.

Mendez shakes his head and grips Kurt's shoulder. "Sir, you know the risks of doing that. Telling them only puts them in more danger. Not just from the Covenant."

Kurt reaches for the necklace around his throat, tracing designs the leather beads there. Some of them were even chosen by Mendez himself. A symbol of pride. He said to all of the Spartan-IIs after each year of training. To show how far you've advanced as a Spartan.

"I know that. But still, that power could help them survive. If they know about it they learn to control it."

"You sure as hell never needed it to survive." Mendez remarks, looking at his Commanding officer. "Remember what happened when I told you about who you're mommy was."

The former Spartan-II bites his lip. "I couldn't sleep right for a week."

"Exactly. Do you really want that reaction from them right before a mission." Mendez exhales deeply. "I wanna tell them too. Those kids deserve to know who their parents are. Just, not right now."

Kurt sighs, banging his fist softly against the table. "I know. Have you at least found out who their parents are?"

In response, the grizzled old marine shows him the datapad containing their files. "Sam, Andrew and Nathan were easy. Ares, Hephaestus and Apollo respectively, its the twins that was a challenge, but the DNA we got from their augmentations confirmed it. They're old barnacle breaths kids."

"Damn." Kurt mutters, pounding the table. "Here I thought the Gods learned from the Insurrection."

Mendez grunts, folding his arms. "Those Gods may be immortal, but it seems their memory is as short as a blink of an eye. Let's just hope that when they do unleash their power, they know who their enemies are."

A dry laugh was the response he got. "I feel bad for whoever stands in their way."

* * *

The freighter Two for one's engines hum softly behind Percy and Persephone as they stack up supplies in one of the vessels many store rooms. After being dropped off in the nearest spaceport they began looking for a captain.

It wasn't long till they found someone planning to make a run across the Eridanus System. A salty old captain who was planning on docking to one of the surviving colonies there. It was small and sparsely populated. Too insignificant for the Covenant to notice or for the UNSC to protect. He had said before taking them in.

With their augmentations, it was easy for them to pass off as young adults looking for work, adding that to their outer colony descent. No one even batted an eyelash at them.

Now the five of them are simply trying to act casual as the ship enters slipspace. Nathan and Sam are in the hanger playing cards with some of the other crew and Andrew had left for the bridge to check if everything alright, leaving the twins in the store house to stack crates of supplies.

"So what do you think of our first mission?" Percy ask, grabbing the other end of the crate his sister was carrying.

Persephone grunts in response as she takes the crates from him and lifts the crate above her head and places it into the rest of the pile. "Well, I wish it didn't smell like the skipper never cleaned it before."

"Ya, it smells like rotting fruit in here." Percy chuckles and looks through the crates he brought in. "What in those crates you're carrying?"

The female Spartan leaps up to one of the crates and climbs onto the top of the pile. She pulls the lid off the crate and peers inside. "Just some fruit. You?"

Her brother pries the lid off the nearest crate and looks around the bottles in. "Medicine. Well I can see now why the rebels want this stuff so badly."

"Ya." Persephone leaps down to the floor and bites her lip, suddenly going silent. This doesn't go unnoticed by her brother who touches her shoulder as she prepares to leave.

"Wanna talk about it."

Persephone stops and sighs deeply, she looks at Percy nodding her head. "Well, if we are going to fight Insurrectionists. Then I'm not sure if I can do it."

Percy's face turns into a concerned frown. "What do you mean? Sis, we've been training for six years for this moment. You'll do fine."

Persephone shakes her head. "It's not that. If we were fighting Covenant then I'd be fine. But these are humans too. I don't think I can do that." She pauses to find the right words to say. "It feels wrong."

After years spent being drilled to fight Covenant, just the idea of killing another human was a completely alien concept. Rebel or not.

Percy exhales deeply. "Listen Persephone. I understand what you're saying, but these people made their choice. The UNSC offered them peace and they rejected it, so whatever we do to them they brought upon themselves."

She feels herself cringe slightly at Percy's harsh assessment. "Besides, what difference is it if we kill rebels or Covenant?"

"Well one isn't a genocidal army that's hell bent on wiping out humanity." Persephone retorts and looks away.

Her brother was about reply when an explosion coming from behind them sends the whole ship rocking to one side. The two stumble and slam against the crates.

"Shit!" Persephone tries to get a grip on something but is thrown to the ground by the vibrations.

"Gah!" Her brother shouts as the ships tilts more to the starboard. Percy manages to get a hold on one of the containers and reach into Persephone's duffel bag.

He pulls out her communicator and empowers it up. "Andrew. What the hell's going on?"

"Autocannon fire. Another freighter came out of the Asteroid field, modified with UNSC weapons by the looks of it. They hit our engines."

Percy lets out a string of curses as the ship manages to regain its bearings. "We better meet with the others." He reaches into the pocket of his coveralls and pulls out an M6D magnum.

"Don't come up to the cargo hold." Nathan suddenly shouts amidst the sound of sizzling metal. "Whoevers attacking are using umbilicals to burn through the hull. They're going swarm the deck in a couple seconds. Protect the bridge at all-" It was all cut off by the sound of something heavy crashing onto the ground and gunfire.

"We got to do something!" Persephone shouts, glancing out the halqq

"To hell with this." Percy grips the handle of his pistol with both hands and runs out to the bridge. Persephone slings her duffel bag over her back and join him.

The Two for one wasn't particularly big so it was easy for the pair to memorize the way to the bridge. They race through the hallways, zigzagging at the corridors when Persephone grabs, Percy's shirt collar and pulls him back. "Wait." She hisses.

"What is it?" Percy hisses back.

In response Persephone jerks her thumbs down the adjacent hallway. An man dressed from head to toe in a black body suit and helmet is approaching their position with his MA3A rifle leveled.

I got this. Percy mouths before whipping out his pistol and firing.

The rebel stops in his tracks and drops to one knee. He fires sprays of assault rifle fire back at us. Percy moves out of his cover, moving to the adjoining hallway.

He growls and checks his ammo counter, three rounds left. Persephone kneels down and is digging into her duffel bag for anything that could help. She pulls out something her brother couldn't see and gets up.

Percy was about to leap out and fire the last of his clip when the rebel soldier collapses on the ground with a hole in his head. Persephone stands a step behind him, breathing heavily and her eyes are wide with fear and just as much as shock. In her hands is her marksman rifle. "You shot him." I breath out.

"Well I couldn't let hurt you." She replies and lowers her weapon with trembling hands. "Can we talk about this later?"

Percy nods wordlessly and places a fresh clip into his gun before running past the rebel who's still blood is now pooling on the ground. "Come on. The bridge is this way."

Persephone follows after. She carefully steps over rebels body, feeling her feet slip on the metal which is slick with the man's blood. It took all her willpower not to puke up her lunch.

Even as the pair moves, she can't seem to get the rebel out of her mind.

He was her first kill.

It took her a moment to realize her hands were trembling as she feels a knot forming in her stomach and squeezing it like a python. She ended someone's life. This wasn't a training match where her opponent would get up and congratulated her for her kill after it was all over.

He was dead and would have a family would mourn him later. Friends, some of whom were possibly boarding right now who would call for her blood.

But still he was going to kill Percy. She had to protect him. With that though she was able to push his death aside for now. Just as they turn a corner, two more rebels are standing there with their sidearms levelled at the hip.

The Spartan pair skids to a halt and redies their own guns. "Crap." Percy mutters angrily, wanting to slap himself. "I forgot this hallway isn't too far from the hanger."

Both raise their weapons and approach the twins. "Drop your weapons!" One of the rebels shouts, they stop about a foot away from the Spartans.

In response Percy leans in closer and levels his gun at the center of the man's visor. Persephone, who despite looking a bit unsure, peer closer to the scope of her rifle and takes aim at the second rebel.

Human or not, there's no way in hell she's just gonna stand by and let them hurt her big brother.

"Drop your weapons." The rebels voice drops to a low and angry growl.

Both Spartans bristle and grip the triggers of their guns, ready to fire in a second. Though before anyone can make another move, a door slides open behind Percy and Persephone. Two more soldiers run out and aim guns at the back of their heads.

"Shit." Percy mutters.

Persephone falters and lowers her rifle. "Do what he says Percy."

He shoots her an angry glare. But Persephone meets his leer in return she has a desperate look on her face as if to say, Trust me please.

With a lot of reluctance, Percy lowers his gun and the guard behind him snatches it from his grip. Persephone sighs inwardly and drops her weapon.

"Now march." The man in front of Persephone, evidently the leader commands.

Percy snorts indignantly. "Like hell I am."

The bearish rebel shoves his partner back and punches Percy in the gut. "I said to march kid." He growls, baring his teeth at him.

Percy doubles over in pain the only thing keeping him are the two guards gripping him by his arms and hauling him to his feet. He glares at the leader defiantly as if daring him to hit him again.

The leader grunts and cracks his knuckles as he prepares to hit him again when Persephone grabs Percy's shoulder and shakes her head.

For a moment it looked like Percy wasn't going to listen to her and attack again. But slowly he begins to march with Persephone. "Asshole." He mutters under his breath.

The rebel behind shoves his slightly with the tip of his gun. "Just keep moving and shut up." He hisses as they are lead to the hanger where about a dozen more rebels have surrounded Sam and Nathan who are on their knees.

The two of them have rifles pointed at the back of their heads, ready to be shot if they so much as twitched.

On the ground around them are the bodies of the rest of the freighter's crew, all riddled with bullet holes. Percy feels his stomach twist at the sight. By the looks of the bullet holes the initial weren't killing blows. So either the rebels let them suffer for a bit, or their shot isn't that good shot.

He sincerely hoped it was the latter.

The only consolation was that there were five other rebe body surrounding them.

"This is the last of them sarge." The rebel who punched Percy snaps in attention to a rebel with the sergeant insignia on his uniform. "Armed like this two."

His partner hands their sergeant weapons they confiscated. The leader takes them and examines the guns. "Hmmm." He approaches his captives and gives them a snake like smile. "Now tell me. Where did a few crewmen in a freighter like this possibly get military grade guns like these?"

"We bought it off the black market." Persephone lies.

More rebels come in from the bridge hallway with the captain, Andrew and one of the crewmen marching ahead of them with their hands on their heads and being held at gunpoint.

"Really now?" The sergeant leaves and nods at the captain. "So tell me. Did you know five of your crew were carrying UNSC grade guns?"

Captain turns to us in surprise. "No." He manages to say as his voice trembles. "I didn't known that"

The rebel leader shrugs and turns away, moving with insufferable swagger. "Well. I guess that must make you one terrible captain."

"Listen. We're not with the UNSC. We're transporting medicine and food." The Captain protests.

"I know." The sergeant removes his helmet to show off his crooked grin. He levels his pistol and shoots him between the eyes.

All the Spartans let out a collective gasp as the man's body thumps against the metal floor. He switches his aim to the other crewman. By the way he's dressed he looks like the first mate. Before he can even open his mouth to beg a round finds itself into his chest.

None of them could speak as the sergeant simply sweeps his pistol towards the ship. "Get our bodies back to the ship. Dump the rest."

About half the rebels salute and leave, dragging bodies away. He and some of his men step away from them and begin discussing something amongst themselves, leaving only two guards to watch the captured Spartans.

Percy leans closer to his sister. "Why did you make me surrender. I could have taken those guys."

"I know." Persephone agrees, looking around to make sure none of the few guards left are listening. "But we have a better chance in taking them when the entire squad is here." She looks at the other three. "Just wait for my signal."

The sergeants group disperses and heads back to the rest of the rebels. "Well we decided that there's no point in keeping you alive. So we decided that we'll follow standard protocol with you."

"Which means?" Percy asks.

In response he pulls out his pistol. He nods to one of his men holding Persephone down who drags her in the center of the group. The rebel nods and pulls out his sidearm and was about to point his gun at her head.

Before he does, Persephone shoves her head back, hitting the man's groin. He voice raises a few octave and he tumbles like a sack of potatoes. As he falls, she snatches the gun from the man's grip and fires in the mass of rebels.

The other Spartans catch on quickly and attack on the nearest guards. Persephone moves behind some crates and takes cover.

All around her a miniature war has broken out. She spots Percy amidst the fighting, wrestling with a rebel for his rifle when another enemy takes aim at him. But, before he could fire Andrew moves from behind and snaps his neck like a toothpick.

Sam leaps over the crate and lands beside her. "So what's the plan?"

"Drive the rebels out and take their ship."

"Good plan." Sam pokes her head out and raises a captured grenade.

Persephone grabs her hand. "No!" She cries. "If you throw a grenade here it might breach the hull. We fight them with guns and knives."

A grin spreads across her face. "Good." Sam leaps onto the crate and launches herself from it. She tucks and rolls to the rebels and slashes one man with her knife.

Persephone picks up another pistol and runs into the fray, firing her dual pistols. The Spartans training kicks in and they work in unison, surrounding the rebels and cutting down any stray soldiers, though careful not to go in two close where the better armored rebels can beat them back.

It wasn't long until the few rebels left are barricaded with the five Spartans advancing.

The sergeant stands in the middle of the battle, flanked by two rebels firing their rifles. The .30 caliber machine gun they use were thankfully weren't very accurate. So as long as they didn't get to close none of them were in serious danger.

"Nathan!" Percy shouts, firing his assault rifle from behind his barricade.

The sharpshooter nods fires his DMR. Two rebels go down and leave a gap open to advance. "Let's move!" Percy waves his hand forward and runs up, fires his rifle full auto.

Persephone and Andrew sprint behind him and form a wedge. He springs from his heels and vaults over their barricades and knocks out another guard with a swift kick.

Sam takes the initiative to attack on another side, firing weapon wildly at the other side to keep the rebels at bay. Persephone twirls her pistols and takes the guards on Percy's right flank while Andrew watches his left.

The sergeant looks at his rifles ammo counter and grits his teeth. He's been reduced to his last clip and takes a deep breath before leaping out and charges forward.

Percy was taken off guard by the rebels sudden attack and was unable to defend himself when he open fires. One round strikes his side and Percy hits the ground a few inches away from the Sergeant. He grunts and suppresses a scream as he clutches his leg.

The man grins and aims his gun at him. Though before he can fire the killing blow Persephone tackles him. Despite being outweighed by at least thirty pounds, her attack still throws the both of them to the ground in a mass of flesh, cloth and bone. His gun clatters to the ground away from his reach.

She uses her body to keep him pinned down and begins to punch him repeatedly in the face. The rebel grits his teeth and tries to free his arm and pull out the knife out of the sheath in his chest piece.

He raises his legs high and kicks her in the gut which such force that she nearly throws up all over him. This gives him enough to pull out a wicked curved knife and slashes her across the face before Persephone shoves him back.

The rebel sergeant sneers at her and flips his knife into reverse grip and steps towards her. He raises the knife and prepares to stab the girl right in the chest when, without thinking Percy shoves his sister behind him and spurts a three round burst from his gun.

The first grazes the side of his helmet, the second lodges himself into his helmet while the third penetrates his visor and enters his skull. Blood, brains and bones spurt everywhere. It showers Percy's gun, his arms, his face, his clothes with it. The headless Insurrectionist falls to the ground.

The whole hanger was suddenly silent save for the scrape of boots as the victorious Spartans gather together. Persephone keeps staring at his headless body, then back at her brother his whose staring at her with resigned look on his face.

Persephone makes a small noise and begin to shake. Andrew and Sam help her to her feet while Percy embraces her tenderly. Persephone stiffens slightly, but reluctantly she hugs back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Percy's POV**

He killed him. They killed everyone. All these innocent crewmen murdered in cold blood with their only crime being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I can't bear to look at any of their bodies as me and Andrew drag their corpses away from hanger and pile them into a crate for after the mission. The Insurrectionists however, we were happy to just dump in a crate and forget about them and jettison them out in space.

Although killing them wasn't nearly enough to satisfy my guilt. It was enough for now. There will be time for mourning later. Though before that we dump them, the two of us scavenge their bodies for anything we might use. I wrench out some MA2B rifles from their hands. They were cut down versions of the MA5 rifle. Less accurate but easier to carry.

"We might need these." I hold one of the guns up for Andrew to see. "I doubt the rebels have many modern guns."

He nods and removes the black polymer bodysuit of one of the rebels and throws it to me. "We might need some armor and disguises."

I grunt in agreement and head to a dark corner and begin to remove my coveralls. The body suit was lightweight polymer and formfitting. Though it restrict my movement somewhat. But having a little problem running was better than being shot. It was surprisingly warm for something so thin.

I put my helmet on and power up the heads-up display, thermal and motion detectors all activate. Including a fifteen minute oxygen reserve. I study the HUD and fine the encryption and communications gear.

"Here." I walk out, adjusting the tight body armor. "You're turn."

He peels off another suit from a rebel and changes in a corner. "So what's the plan boss?"

"We proceed to find the rebel base. But first we need to report this to the fleet." I sling my rifle over my back.

"Right." He falls into step behind me. "I think I can get FLEETCOM working."

Andrew begins to power up the radio. He hands me the microphone and the headset. "Got the Trebia on the horn."

"This is Petty Officer Perseus-B313." I speak slowly into the microphone. My team have come into contact with the rebels. They've attempted to take the freighter and wiped out the entire crew, though we were able to repel the boarders."

"Roger that. Proceed with your mission and find that rebel base. Spartan B-189 has already been provided with the needed tools." The radio seems to drop to static. It comes back up shortly. "We'll provide you with an escape route.

Then the channel went dead.

I glance back to Andrew. "What tools?"

"Oh ya." His eyes light up and he picks up something slung on the Operations officer chair by its straps. "I forgot about this."

He pulls out a backpack. A "damage packs." It was filled up completely with C-12 shaped charges. Just a 4x4x4 inch cube was enough to destroy a five story structure. That medium sized pack had enough firepower to blow up, or at least severely damage the rebel station. "A couple fireworks for the Innies after we're done." He grins.

"Alright everyone. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

* * *

I stand at the bridge of the rebels modestly sized ship. It was heavily modified with Archer missile tubes and four 50mm autocannons. Andrew had already taken the pilot's seat and began thumbing the controls. "I was watching our crew run the Two for One. The controls don't seem to be too different from that. I could fly us there."

"Nice job man." I clap him on the back and give him a thumbs up.

Immediately outside the bridge was the hanger. The rest of my team was just finishing up the loading of some the crate in the Two for One. The Rebels attacked us for our cargo. So that's exactly what they'll get. And then some.

All three of them were dressed in the charcoal black bodysuits and helmets. But even so I could still tell them apart. Both Nathan and Sam stand ready and alert, waiting for orders. Persephone on the other hand keeps her head down and doesn't want to make eye contact. "Get some rest." I order them. "We got a long trip ahead of us."

It didn't take any more convincing for Sam and Nathan both find a nice spot and lie down. Persephone lingers for a little before settling in between a couple crates.

Once all of them were asleep, I begin to walk back into the bridge. Andrew's gaze was glued to the monitor and the only indication that he saw me entering was a slight nod. I was still surprised on how quiet he was. A sharp contrast to his normally loud attitude when he's on the ground.

It would take some getting used to, but if it meant that he wasn't going to scream at the top of lungs over the COMs then I'm not going to complain.

I ease into the navigation officers chair and power up the computer. I scrolled through the star maps and the ships records of previous stops until I find what I'm looking for. Coordinates within the asteroid field and send them over to the command chair.

"I'm sending possible coordinates of the rebel base to you." I inform Andrew.

He nods and detaches the tiny monitor from his armrest. The heavy weapons Spartan takes a second to memories it and types it down. "Let's go then."

I key in the coordinates and feel a smile growing at my cheeks. The rebels are going to be in for the surprise of their lives. The ship's engines begin to slowly hum to life, like a dragon rousing from its slumber and ready to fly.

First, I press the button that retracts the Umbilical from the Two for Ones hull. I give Andrew a small nod. Suddenly the engine begins to hum loudly. The sound reverberates across the whole ship as it begins to spin in a 180 degree angle, stopping when the viewport is facing the asteroid field.

The upward thrusters flare and the ship move to the asteroid field. "Got the coordinates placed in. ETA in six hours." Andrew looks up from the screen and removes his helmet.

"Goodwork. We take shifts then. Wake them up in three hours?"

"Sounds good." He half turns back to his station then stops himself. "Hey Percy?"

I swivel my chair back at him. "Ya?"

"How do you feel about our first mission?" He says, tapping his foot on the metal floor and glancing around.

I blink at him. "Andrew? Are you trying to make small talk?"

He shrugs and shifts around his command chair. "Well it's a lot better than just staring at floating rocks for the next three hours."

Fair point. I pause and collect my thoughts. Aww what the hell. "Honestly. I kind of want to kill every rebel I see now."

He seemed to have been surprised by my response, because he gives me an odd look. "Thats pretty dark Percy." Andrew says quietly.

"Well they did just murder everyone on the Two for One." I remind him quietly. The images of those dead men are still stuck in my mind. Something tells me that I might never be able to unsee it.

His jaw clenches up tightly. By the looks of it he feels the same way. "Well, I suppose you're right, but I also remember the role we also played."

I knit my eyebrows curiously. "What do you mean by that? What role did we play?"

"Remember we did essentially use them for our mission." Andrew replies softly.

I was about to open my mouth to reply, but anything retort I had suddenly rolled of my tongue. I never thought of the situation like that. But still, it wasn't like we forced them to go on the journey and those men knew what they were getting into when they used this route.

Right?

"But it's not like they wouldn't have gone onto this supply run if we didn't show up." I manage to say.

Andrew shrugs and turns back to his computer. "I suppose you're right. Though how do the others feel about it? Killing other humans I mean."

"I haven't asked Sam or Nathan about it. Though neither of them seemed to have any problem with it. Persephone." I sigh sadly. "Well she doesn't seem to like it. I can't say I blame her, I don't love the idea either, but she seems to hesitant. I'm afraid that it might get us in trouble in the mission."

"There are more important things than the mission." Andrew says darkly.

I suddenly feel like I was back in the augmentation tables being injected. "I didn't mean it like that." I wince and feel it hard to speak. "I mean that it could let her get hurt. If she hesitates in a fight, even for a moment-" I stop myself from speaking.

Andrew's infuriated appearance unknots. "Listen man. I know you care about her. But give her some credit. She's probably one of the main reasons our team kept together."

I grin a little bit. That was true though. Persephone was without a doubt the most sociable of the group. She had an amazing ability to be friends with anyone she tries to, whether it be us, other Spartans, the trainers.

"Why are you the smart one all of a sudden?" I grumble.

He simply shrugs. "Someone's gotta be."

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

I nudge Percy and Andrew. Instantly both of them are awake, both have their hands on their assault rifles. "I just got word from Nathan. We're gonna land in a couple minutes."

Percy sits on his hunches and pulls his rifle close. "How long?"

"Maybe three minutes."

He nods and gets to his feet. "Right. Are you ready for what we're about to do?"

I freeze. As if someone had dropped a cold washcloth onto my neck, I shiver. This had been the part of the mission I've been dreading since we left the Two for One. Even when I was asleep I could still picture the rebel frozen on the ground, never to wake up again.

"I'm not sure." Our gazes meet and I feel his hand reach out and grip my arm.

"Listen. I want you to know that I also think about those rebels we killed. But what we did. They were going to kill innocent people Persephone. They knew what they were doing when they came aboard and we had to stop them. I wish it didn't have to be like this."

My throat tightens as I know that from the look of his face he's not done yet.

"But right now we don't have much of a choice. I need to know if you can go on with the mission." He continues.

I quickly bob my head. "Good." Percy grabs his helmet and slips it on his head. "I'll get the others."

Nathan and Sam soon join us. I hear a million tiny metallic pings as the ship was affected by the stations gravity. The Two for One spins around the hanger. There was a loud clang followed by an abrupt stop as something grabs the ship. "It's just a docking clamp." Andrew assure her. "Opening cargo hatch."

The door releases an audible hiss and depressurised before it begins to slide down to make a ramp.

I rest my hand on Nathan's rifle barrel. "Lower your gun. We don't want to look suspicious."

However as soon as the door have touched the hanger, teams of dockworkers rush in and begin to unload the supplies. A man pauses and looks at the box of medicine. He picks it up with trembling hands.

"Is something wrong?" I frown underneath my helmet.

"N-no." He turns to look up at me. His eyes were filled with raw emotion. Relief. Gratitude. Awe. "Thank you." The man squeezes box so hard his knuckles turn white and carries it down.

I stand there unable to move as Percy and the others begin to move out. "Let's go." Nathan whispers. "You seem a bit shaken. Everything alright?"

"Ya." I lie and follow him down from the cargo hold to the hanger. The ceiling stretched up hundreds of feet into the air while huge, long fluorescent lights illuminate the entire area. It was so bright that I had to cover my eyes when I looked at them. With all the crates and boxes of guns, ammo and medicine, it looked much more like a giant warehouse.

"I don't think I have enough explosives for the hanger." Andrew mutters, subtly looking in his satchel, making sure none of the workers get a chance to see what's in it.

"I brought a few C7 foaming explosives." Sam offers.

"Alright everyone, I got eyes on the door." Nathan says, inclining his head slightly to the side.

Percy looks for a deserted spot and move behind a Laden-class freighter. The rest of us follow and squat down in a circle. "Good. Split up and try not to look suspicious. He gets the damage pack from Andrew and begins to pass the cubes to our hands. "Split up and place these on anything that looks important. Bulkheads, support beams and ships. But be discreet, act like you're just walking around."

"Sergeant." A voice shouts causing Percy to freeze.

He stands up and turns around. An ODST with crossed arms walks up to our position. He was dressed in standard matte black ODST armor with red as an accent on his helmet, chest and shoulder plates. A bandolier hangs across his right shoulder and a knife was sheathed on his left shoulder pad.

Behind him are two guards dressed in dark green armor over gray fatigues. They have assault rifles slung over on shoulder.

Percy looks at the insignia at his shoulder. "Yes sir?" He asks, straightening his posture.

The ODST stop less than a foot away from him. His silver visor glaring down at him. "Your ship was supposed to return over an hour ago. What the hell took you so long?" His tone was accusing and even somewhat suspicious.

Crap. I slowly reach down to my pistol. Neither of the guards seem to suspect anything. If I'm fast enough I can get a few shots in before they could unsling their rifles. Though before I can even touch the handle of my gun, Percy speak up. "We were attacked sir."

The ODST pauses. He presses his face closer to Percy until his helmet brushes up against Percy's "What do you mean." His tone was far less aggressive and almost concerned. "That freighter was supposed to be a milk run. A soft target."

"They were armed. Some of the crewmen had guns." That wasn't a total lie. The best fabrications are always those with truth mixed into them.

"Guns?" He mutters, pulling away and shaking his head. "What kind?"

"Pistols and marksman rifles." Percy replies. Not a lie. he turns back to us for confirmation.

"Right guys." We all quickly bob our heads in agreement.

The ODST shakes his head, cursing viciously to himself. He begins to pace around. "No. No that can't be right." He stops right in front of us and points at Percy. "Alright Sergeant. I need you to come with me for debriefing."

"Uh. Yes sir." Percy falters for a bit. I feel my blood run cold as the rebel faces him. Even with his helmet I can tell he's glaring down at my brother.

Just one shot.

My handgun feels heavy hanging on my waist. "Is there a problem soldier?" He growls at Percy. Up close he towered over my brother.

"No sir." Percy barks in a far more convincing tone.

The rebel seem mollified and begins to walk away, his two guards in tow. "The rest of you stay here and help unload the supplies."

"R-right sir." I try to keep my voice even. Once the were out of the hanger I turn to the rest of my squad. "What the hell do we do now?"

Andrew crouches beside and peers behind the ship."We continue the mission. First we find Percy, then blow up this station. So let's get the explosives placed. Everyone clear?"

Four green acknowledgement lights flash. We all walk out from behind the freighter, careful to look like we have somewhere to go. But as we walk, something catches my attention. A crowd of people were surrounding the ship we used.

There were a few dock workers and even fewer guards. Most were dressed in civilian clothes. I stop and watch what's going on, but there were too many people to see properly. "Guys, whats happening? There's a bunch of people surrounding our ship."

I push myself past the crowd. "Hello? Whats happening?"

A dockworker hands a crate to one of his fellows. "Didn't you hear? We're supposed to distribute the supplies captured to the civilians."

He picks up a small container of rations and offers it to a woman. "Here you go miss."

Anything I could have said melts off my tongue, yet there were still dozens of questions in my head. Why were there civilians here? Was this the reason why the rebel were raiding this area. The only thing that brings me back to the present was the crewmen throwing me a box of antibiotics. "Distribute these to the sick."

Unable to speak, I rip open the top to reveal dozens of little containers. A group of observers break off from the main group and huddle around me.

Suddenly I couldn't breath, in any other situation I would have open fired at being surrounded by hostiles, but these weren't rebels or even Innie sympathizers. Well maybe they are, but now these are people who are relying on the rebels for basic goods.

Without hesitation, I begin to dig into the box and hand out the drugs.

It wasn't long when I look bury my hand into the box that all I find is the cardboard bottom. But there were still dozens of eyes on me, wide and desperate as if pleading to me to dosomething. Like I was breaking their hearts if I couldn't give them anything.

Something tells me that it was more than just an exaggeration.

"Sorry everyone." I spread my hands to show that I don't have any more. Many look disappointed, even hurt as they disband. I feel my stomach twist. The looks on their faces made it one of the hardest thing I ever had to say.

"Persephone. What are you doing in that crowd?" Nathan whispers to my radio.

"Nathan." I keep my voice low and veer away from the crowds. It was relieving to hear his voice again. "Where are you?"

"Lookup."

I scan the hanger and find Nathan standing on some crates, appearing to direct Sam and Andrew who are carrying some crates. To a casual looker it might appear as just a team moving some crates around, but to a closer eye they're clearly moving crates to form a semicircle barricade.

Sam was the first to notice me and waves at me. I walk up to them, careful not to draw any attention to myself. Thankfully everyone seemed to be too busy dividing up the loot from the freighter. "What is it?"

"We better start placing the explosives now. I doubt we have enough to blow up the entire station, but we definitely have enough to destroy this hanger and everyone in it."

I should have felt excited, but the elation didn't come and instead all I felt was sorry. Not for myself, but for Percy and all the civilians aboard the station. If they were to die by our explosives in cold blood, then what separates us from the rebels who killed the Two for Ones crew. "No."

Both Andrew and Sam stop what they were doing and look at her. Even Nathan looks down from his vantage point, face filled with concern. "What do you mean no?"

"There are civilians here guys." I make a broad sweeping gesture to the people gathered around our ship.

"Crap." Nathan mutters. Based on the looks on their faces, none of them seemed to have considered it. "What do we do then?"

"Well we're definitely not abandoning the mission. We came too far to just abort now." Andrew argues.

Sam scrapes her knife against her shoulder plate. "Same here. I say we keep going. What about you Persephone?"

"Not me." I keep my voice glum but resolute. "Isn't killing civilians is what separates us from the Insurrectionists right?"

"Yes." Nathan agrees quietly. "Yes it is."

"So what will we do then?"

"I'm with Persephone." Nathan agrees, standing up in between them. "What if we were able to get rid of everyone yere in the hanger? It wouln't matter how many people we kill as long as cripple their ability to pose a serious threat, which means taking out their ships."

The two still seem unsure, but the sniper isn't done. "Besides, it would be easier to go about our mission if there are fewer people here. It only tales one pair of eyes to screw up our mission."

It took a little more coaxing to get the two finally agree, but soon we were returning to the ship where the crowd of hungry refugees are waiting.

* * *

 **Percy's POV**

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't keep a calm head. It didn't help that this ODST was shadowing my every move, daring me to stop out of place so he can pull out his shotgun me. He was like a trained attack dog just waiting for his master's order to rip my throat out.

God, if this was how they treated their own soldiers then I feel bad for any UNSC soldiers they captured.

The ODST walks ahead of me, not even glancing back to make sure I'm here. Behind me are his two guards. They both move with rigidness and stiffness that indicates they were soldiers at some point.

But the other soldiers however, don't seem share the discipline. I make a mental note of that as we move through a small, narrow hallway. It was silent except for the loud thump of our feet against the metal floor. The walls were made of quality Titanium-A armor, an alloy resistant to all but the most powerful UNSC weapons.

It reminded me a bit of a metal shell.

The doors his and fly open to reveal an office. In sharp contrast to the harsh environment outside, the room was warm and inviting. Lights from the ceiling lamp shine brightly to light up the entire room. The room itself was painted bright white and red.

A wood and steel desk was bolted down to the floor. The only things on it was a Charon industries coffee mug, a computer and some stationery. Behind the desk was chair made of Gúta leather, I front of the desk were two more chairs were set on either of the desk.

The two corners at far the end of the room had some potted ferns to give some life in the office and on one side, the walls were covered with newspaper clippings, pictures of prominent Insurrectionists and insignias of various rebel groups. On the other were shelves boasting a number of brandys and whiskeys. Underneath them was a pair of ODSTs leaning by the mini fridge, drinking whiskey.

One was an athletic looking man with a mohawk and slight stubble. The other was female, a pretty blonde with pale skin and dark gray eyes. The man had the emblem of a maroon and white pill on his chest while his friend has an emblem detailing a kiss mark inside of a heart.

"Sir." The ODST with the shotgun salutes. "I brought the sergeant here like you asked."

"Excellent job Jacobs." The mohawked man sets his glass down and begins to swagger to his desk, his movements were calm yet crisp. "Greeting sergeant."

I bow my head. "Hello sir."

Mr Mohawk gestures to one of the chairs for me to sit. "Please, make yourself comfortable." He looks to his fellow ODST. "That will be all Jacobs."

The bearish mn hesitates for a moment until he makes a flicking movement outwards with his wrist. He then nod and walk out of his office. His two guards close the doors behind them. I set myself down on the chair and drum my finger nervously as the female ODST walks behind the leaders desk and folds her arms.

Once he hears the click of the door shutting, the leader swivels his head to me. "So. Do you have any idea why they carried UNSC weapons?"

I try to keep my gaze anywhere but his steely eyes, focusing on the floor. "No sir."

"Eyes on the Captain when addressing him." The female snaps irritably. God are all of the officers here so temperamental.

"That enough Girlie." The leader lifts his arm to gesture her back. "He's probably just nervous. So were you able get any information about why they were armed?"

"No sir. I wasn't able get any information out them." I look up from the ground and the image of the dead crew men's bodies flash into my mind. I bite the lump in my throat. "I killed them before I could interrogate them."

Girlie pinches the bridge of her nose, grinding her teeth audibly. "You're telling me, that you didn't try to get answers from them before killing them."

I try my best to look timid and submissive, but this ODST is making it a real struggle. My fingers flex and stretch as it hovers over my holster. I can already imagine myself drawing my gun on her. Before I finish my train of thought, I raise my hands protectively. "I had no choice. They were attacking us." I pause before adding. "With all due respect ma'am. My orders were to secure supplies. Which I accomplished."

The leader raises an eyebrow, though he barely contains his surprise and amusement. The girl slams her fists on the table so hard that the coffee in the leaders mug vibrates. "You had a standing order to also gather intelligence on the UNSC."

I ball my fist and close my eyes to keep my anger in check. "Thats enough from you." The leader growls, giving his subordinate a warning look. His voice was calm, yet it had an underlying message. Let him speak.

He looks back at me and gestures for me to go on. I go on to explain to them a fabricated tale about boarding the Two for One, only to suffer a vicious counter-attack by the crew, fully armed with DMRs and pistols.

"We were able to capture the vessel, though at the cost of most of my men." I finish, keeping my voice remorseful. The leader nods a few time throughout my story, looking quite convinced at everything I said.

"Well then." He says slowly. "It's a good thing that you were able to relay this information to us."

I nod at him. "Thank you sir. Now with all due respect. I would like to get some rest now."

Before he could respond, there was a loud knock on the door. Mr Mohawk turns to Girlie and points his head towards the door. She nods and approaches the door. "What do you suggest we do soldier?"

I was stunned. In this entire mission I could never imagine I would not only be seated in front of the Insurrectionist leader, but also have a say in the next course of action. This was an unprecedented opportunity, I have to play this right or it could end very badly for me and my entire team.

"Well sir. I think the best course of action would be to halt all operations temporarily. The UNSC is clearly taking precaution against us so it would be best to lay low until their security begins to grow lax."

The leader scratches his chin, seeming to consider this. "That is a good point. A very good point." He acknowledges and nods. "Perhaps-"

The door closes with a loud slam and all I catch glimpse off is the bottom of someone's boot hitting the side of my head.

I was thrown off my chair and hit the oaken floor. A white light bursts across my vision followed by a full force of agony. The leader was shouting something, but my ears were still ringing and everything that came out was garbled and indistinguishable.

Tiny black spots are in vision as I struggle to get to my arms and knees. The next sensation I felt however was something I instantly recognized. A sharp blade pricking the skin on my neck. It stung and I feel the skin there split apart, though it doesn't go in deep.

The female ODST kneels down to my level and holds her knife ready with a sadistic smirk on her face. She whispers to my ear, slowly and clearly enough for me to understand every word she has to say. "None of the officers recognized you and your men. Care to explain spy?"

He grabs me by my forhead and forces me to look up. My gaze moves from the floor to the desk, then up to the rebel leader. "What's your name and what are you doing here?" He pulls his face over his desk. His amber eyes burn dangerously with unbridled rage.

I stare at both of them defiantly. The pain in my head slowly subsides. "My name is Percy Jackson. I'm a Spartan sent here to blow up your station." I reply as calmly and bluntly as I could possibly say.

Girlie hiss and digs her knife deeper into my neck, feeling it draw a thin line of blood that drips down my throat. "Bullshit. You're a bit young to be a Spartan."

"I'm only thirteen and a half." I shrug. Inside I was shaking. Her knife was really warm against her neck. Partially because of my blood on it.

The leader reaches under his desk and tugs hard for something. He produces a submachine gun and clicks the safety off. "Well then. My friend here isn't particularly fond of spies. So it would save her a lot of trouble and you a lot of pain if you simply told the truth."

"But I am telling the truth." I say in my most blunt and innocent voice.

A glimmer of pity flashes across his face for second before he purses his point. "Alright then. Whats about to happen next is on you."

I feel Girlie grinning viciously, but before she can even flick her wrist I grab her hand with lightning quick reflexes and pull it away from my neck. The only thing that comes out of her was a small gasp in surprise before I jerk my leg back at her chest.

She was thrown a few feet back to the carpeted floor.

I turn my attention back to the leader and whip my pistol on him. His trigger finger was already was already squeezing the trigger of his gun. I dive to one side, as a stream of SMG fire scythes over my head. I manage to fire a single shot though.

My bullet goes wide and cracks the wall behind him. The ODST's fire lags for a second as he glances back at the crack in the wall where the bullet wedged itself. I use those few seconds to hook my foot on the leg of a chair and pull it in front of me.

I crouch down behind it and switch to my MA2B. Gunfire peppers the chair, sending yellow and white stuffing everywhere. "You're gonna pay for that. That was my favorite chair." The leader growls and fires.

"How about I pay you in lead you Innie bastard." I shout, resting my rifle on the chair and firing. The two of us exchange fire for a little bit until the leader drops behind his desk and throws his empty gun away.

"What's the matter?" I taunt. "Out of ammo."

In response he leaps out and throws a metal tomahawk at me. "SHIIIIT." I shriek and barely dodge the throwing weapon which bounces off the door behind me and clatters on the ground.

He gives me a smug smirk and pulls out two more collapsible tomahawks from his back. "No. I think I'm fine."

A blunt pain bursts from the back of my head as I was thrown to the ground again. The leader's bodyguard holds one of her knives in a reverse grip and plunges it down. I roll aside and kick her in the shins.

I leap to my feet and make sure to stay close to Girlie. I have no hope of taking on both of them. But maybe the leader won't fire with one of his own men so close. I approach her and swing my rifle.

But she was a lot faster than I thought. She catches my gun in mid-air and pulls it away. She kicks me in the gut and then smashes the gun across my cheek. My teeth rattle in my mouth as I dazedly throw a punch at her.

Girlie doges my sloppy punch and does a summersault, kicking me in the other cheek. I doodle and my knees buckle underneath me. I grab the edge of a table and use it to regain my balance. My legs tremble, feeling like they weigh a thousand pounds. I shake the confusion from my head.

Just when I was about to pull myself back up, I recoil my hand from the desk as an axe buries itself into onto the desk, sending splinters all over my chest.

The Insurrectionist leader wrenches his weapon free and twirls it in his hands.

Crap.

I raise both my fists in front of my face in a fighting posture. The two rebels surround me and slowly push me back to a corner. My training kicks in and I palm my knives hidden in my armor.

Without hesitation I throw myself at them, swinging my blades wildly. One finds its mark and slashes cleanly across Girlie's cheek, leaving a thin line across her pretty little face. My other blade was inches from his face when the leaders steel axe blocks it pushes his weapon forward.

I wrench my head to the side and let it whiz past at whiskers length. I throw two punches at the rebels face. He was dazed and staggers back. I follow up with a roundhouse kick to his solar plexus. I turn my attention to Girlie. She had her knives ready and charges.

I meet her attack and our knives meet in a blur of sparks and steel. Girlie was a lot better than I thought. Clearly she had a lot of practice with knives and moves swiftly like a tiger. I was damn near impossible to land a blow on her.

Driving my combat knife forward at her, aiming for her chest when her left hand comes out of nowhere and cleaves across my arm. I bite back a scream as the knife cuts through flesh and lets blood flow out despite my body armor.

He elbows my arm and shoulder. I drop to the ground and try to raise my knife feebly to protect myself. She grunts and kicks it aside and slams to the wall. Above me the shelves filled with brandy rattle and shakes from the vibrations.

Pain shoots through my entire body as I find it harder and harder to stay conscious. Her fist strikes me in the face again. Pain lances across my nose all over my body. My torso begins to slump as the corners of my vision begins to go dark.

Then the rattling noise goes from above me. An idea pops in my mind.

"Just so you know, this would have gone a lot better if you hadn't tried to fight." Girlie growls and raises her fist to hit me again. At the last second I jerk my head to the side and let her fist smash into the wall.

She hisses and pulls her throbbing hand back. "Thanks." I smirk and with all my remaining strength I whirl around and slam my fist against the wall.

There was a loud clang as it connects with the metal. I feel as if my hand were on fire, but the I got the desired effect. The shelf shakes and the bottle begin to wobble until some begin to fall off.

All I do is tuck and cover my head as they begin falling. Girlie leaps back in surprise as a stray bottle smashes right in front of her. She breaks her attack to avoid getting brained by falling flask. One however bounces right off her head,

Not the normal to get a hangover, but I'm not complaining.

I swore I saw Girlie eyes rolling as she wobbles around. Her feet slip on the floor which is now turned into a concoction of alcohol and she karens to the floor.

Taking a moment to savor my victory, I wipe blood and spittle of my mouth and nose.

A soft grunt coming from my left side gets me to look around. The Mohawked leader was just climbing to his feet when he notices me. "H-hey there." He groans, rubbing his head.

I move first, grabbing the the bottle of whiskey and smash it over his head. The glass shatters and sends bit of shards everywhere. Before anything else happens, I scoop my helmet from the floor and snap it in place.

Outside, klaxons were blaring out of speakers mixed with the shouting voices of rebels running to the hanger. I keep my head down and follow them, trying to look inconspicuous.

* * *

 **Nathan's POV**

Well. Things went to shit faster than I thought.

Persephone certainly had the right idea waiting to all the civilians were gone before proceeding with the objective. Although I certainly knew that she wasn't suggesting that because of any strategic value. She was doing it because she didn't want any civilians getting caught in the middle.

Regardless, I found myself agreeing with the sentiment. Innie or not, there were lines I'm not about to cross and killing civies is one of them.

Still, all it took was one officer who knew the men involved in the mission to realize none of us looked anything alike to them. Now Percy is missing and the rest of Crusader is in deep shit. it appears every rebel in whole station had arrived to stop us.

"Just hand yourselves over to us and I assure you that you will all be treated well." The red and black armored ODST pushes himself through the crowds and squares his shotgun on his shoulders.

Well at least he doesn't appear aggressive.

"Bullshit!" Andrew resumes firing. The girls move to his side and lay down suppressive fire.

Unlike his soldiers, the ODST grunts and doesn't seek cover. Instead he fires his shotgun, advancing towards us slowly.

I raise my dual pistols and open fire. Unlike everyone else who use automatic weapons, my handguns were meant for mid range so most of my shots hit home, striking at more daring rebels unlucky enough to fall in my crosshair.

Standing here together, I feel a strong sense of pride to my team. Despite all the odds here we are standing against the enemies of humanity. "I say we make a run for the ship and get the hell out of here." Sam hisses.

"What!" Persephone gasps to my left. "We can't leave yet. Percy's still here."

Andrew shouts incoherently as he slowly sweeps his rifle at the guards. "He's been gone for almost an hour and his COMs have been totally silent. We've got to assume he's gone now." His face darkens.

"We can't just do that him! He would never leave one of us out here!" Persephone shouts.

Sam places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Persephone." Her voice breaks. "We have to think about the rest of the team and the mission."

"I don't give a damn about the mission." She wails, pulling her shoulder away.

Throughout this entire exchange, all of us keep the fire on the rebels. Still the ODST was already halfway across No Man's Land. "What about Percy? Do you think he would want us to complete the mission?"

The raven haired Spartan doesn't have a retort to that. She begins to whimper pleadingly and looks at me desperately. "Nate." She says softly.

I lower my head. "I'm sorry Persephone, but we can't wait any more."

A number of emotions cross her face. Hurt, betrayal, anger then acceptance. "Alright." She concedes quietly.

"Go take the shuttle." I nod to Sam and Andrew. The pair salute and charge out of our barricades. The guards in the shuttle were taken by surprised by our unexpected attack and it takes a moment for them to react. This hesitation was exactly what Andrew needed.

Andrew fires suppressive bursts that keep the guards pinned or outright kill those who tried to return fire. Sam sprints forward and covers the distance faster than Andrew. She does a summersault and leaps over to the enemy soldiers.

She pulls out her knife and grins at the guards. One tries to attack her from behind by swinging his rifle at her, but she smirks and angles her body away before thrusting the blade into his belly.

Sev grins and slashes another man's leg open before plunging her blade into his heart.

The other soldiers take a step back from her cautiously. Sev grins and slowly advances on them. Meanwhile Andrew had arrived behind the guards and starts engaging them in hand to hand.

Persephone was gunning down rebels with cool efficiency. Any hesitation she had before was now gone as she occasionally growls angrily to herself. I was unusual to see her so cold and kind of unsettling. I move beside her and offer some help. "I'm sorry." I whisper quietly to her.

She doesn't respond and only gives me the briefest look before turning back to the battle. I sigh inwardly and join her.

Persephone suddenly dives down as a rounds splatter on top of the box she was hiding behind. The ODST grunts and pumps his shotgun again. He moves in and fires again. I curse silently and open fire with my pistols.

The ODST's heavy shoulder plate absorbs most of my attacks, though he lets out an angry grunt. "Get down." I order Persephone, crouching down.

I place my pistols back at their holsters and crack my knuckles. Hand to hand was never my specialty, but in this range sharpshooting wouldn't do much good. The ODST cocks his shotgun and points it over the box at me.

Counting to three, I jerk up and shove his shotgun away with my forearm. The blast goes wide and goes in the direction away from either me or Persephone. With my other hand I repeatedly throw quick jabs at the side of his face.

The ODST stumbles to his right and raises both arms over his head. I kick his side and advance towards him. A smirk tugs on my lips as he staggers and struggles to remain standing. This was a lot easier than I thought.

Suddenly both his fists come up and slam into my jaw. Pain and shock lances at my face and I was momentarily stunned. I rub my jaw and turn to face when he rams the top of his head at my face. I open my mouth to scream, but my jaw feels like it's on fire from that blow. I think he might have even dislocated it. Another blow to the stomach causes me to recoil violently.

He rains a flurry of blows on me, throwing me back until I stumble on the ground.

I try to defend myself and throw some kicks and punches, but he had a huge advantage in strength and I couldn't even bring myself climb up. "Did you really think it was that easy?" He grunts and picks up his shotgun.

Persephone screams and jumps on top of one of the boxes. From there she sweeps her foot at his head. There was a metallic Twang as her boot collides with his helmet and sends him struggling to the ground.

"Kill them!" The ODST shouts before the female Spartan kicks him again in the head. His men who have been watching the whole thing. I close my eyes and shield my head as I hear a dozen rifles trained on the two of us.

Five gunshots go off, but neither of us go down. I peer up curiously and to my surprise five of the rebels drop to the ground with bullet holes in their helmet. Percy was leaning against the door with a smoking rifle in his hands.

Persephone leaps up runs up to him, avoiding the attacks from the remaining rebels.

The two siblings had already reached each other at this point and I just noticed the way Percy's shoulder is slumped and his arm is hanging uselessly. That couldn't have been anything other than a gunshot wound. Judging by the amount of blood soaked into the sleeve of his shirt, he's been bleeding for a while.

"I got you big guy." Persephone coos gently and lets Percy lean on her. The two of them begin to steadily move back here. They were hindered somewhat by Percy who seems a bit disoriented.

They weren't going to make it like this. Bullets whiz over them like angry wasps and the warehouse was filled with the angry cries of men. I remain crouched down as I leave the cover of my box and thumb my M6s trigger, systematically taking the enemies out one by one.

The only thing that mattered down was keeping my friends safe.

I dive and roll forward, gunning down two more rebels trying to take cover and throw my knife at a third who was charging towards Percy. I pick up a loud pump behind me and leap forward just as a shell shatters at the ground I was standing on.

The red armored ODST was back on his feet and fires another round. Although my armor absorbs most of the attack, it still throws me back. I whisk out my gun and hold down the trigger. The gun bucks and recoils violently, causing some of the shots to miss their mark but the 12.7x44mm round that do hit do their job just as well.

He growls and retreats away out of range. Without their leader, the remaining rebels seem to falter and some outright retreat as well. The Twin Spartans move past me and make their way to the shuttle.

Sam and Andrew have already secured the shuttle and are now just mopping up the remnants of their forces. Sam was clearly grinning underneath her helmet as she holds down a guard and snaps his neck. Andrew however seems more anxious to get going. "Come on. Come on!"

I let them pass me and act as their rearguard, firing as I retreat slowly. Soon I find my feet touching the ramp of the shuttle Sam took. "Is everyone there?" Sam shouts as she sweeps her rifle one last time before following me.

Percy and Andrew run to the controls and frantically begin typing buttons that power up the ship. "Andrew activate the explosives!"

He nods and flips the detonator in his hands before pressing the big red button. From the aft cameras I can see the carnage outside. The men who were unlucky enough to be standing close to the rigged ships were consumed by an explosion of flame and smoke.

Shrapnel fly everywhere, piercing through other ships and other soldier. The shuttle was too far away for anything serious to hit it so only a few fragments ping off its hull. "Alright everyone, prepare for dust off." Andrew hits the button slams and the ship's engines hum silently to life.

It hover for a little bit before speeding away from the station. Percy picks up the radio's microphone and powers it up. "This is Spartan team Crusader. We've completed our objective and are now leaving the station."

"Understood Spartans, pick up is on the way." Came the naval officer's reply. The radio drops to static and everyone seem to relax. A moment later everyone begins to smile and grin at each other, even Persephone manages a small smile.

"We did it everyone! Our first mission." Sam whoops and raises both fists in the air. A wave of relief washes over me as it feels a bit surreal, but this wasn't some dream. It was hard to believe but it was true.

We actually completed our first mission as Spartans. I place a hand on my chest and realize I've been holding in my breath. I suck in some air and relax a bit.

From the corner of my eye I see Persephone sitting down and although she was smiling, I can sense the uncertainty in her eyes. "I think I'm gonna get some rest." She says quietly and begins to walk away.

"You did the right thing." I grab her arm and pull her close. She looks up at me in surprise, her beautiful sea green eyes searching me. "Killing civilians isn't why we became Spartans." I look around at the rest of my team who silently nod in agreement. "None of us would have been able to live with the guilt Persephone."

She stares at me, lips quivering as she tries to form the words she wants to say. Instead she throws her arms around me. I was taken off guard and hesitate a bit, but I quickly return it and let her head rest on my chest.

My heart was pounding rapidly like a charging Moa. Ever since we were younger I always had a not so small crush to Persephone. How long have I been dreaming of this.

I glance up and see Percy giving me a nod of approval.


	10. Chapter 10

**Percy's POV**

I wake up with a start. I suck in a deep breath and exhale. It was cold enough to see my breath in this freezer. I shiver and glance around through the frost covered glass.

Damn it was cold in here.

It didn't help that I had to sleep nude to avoid blistering. Like the rest of Crusader, we were placed in Cryo sleep when we boarded this ship for the duration of the trip. I try to move my arms to push the cover off, but my joints felt like they were frozen solid and all I could do was wiggle my finger. I try to shift around but the cryo pod was so small that my shoulders keep hitting the side.

There was some muffled voices coming from the outside that I couldn't discern what they were saying.

A pipe above me begins to depressurize the chamber. I roll my head aside to avoid the steam brushing against my neck. I focus on the frost on the glass as it begins to melt and turn into water.

The lid slides upwards and the cold air is gone. "Sorry for the rude awakening sir." A voice apologizes from the speaker. "But the General wanted to see your team. We're taking them off cryo now."

Even though there was no one there, I still nod from instinct as I step out of the cryo tube. I wince slightly and rub my temples. The throbbing pain in my head was on full attack. Cryo sleep always gave me a terrible headache. "No signs of freezer burn. There are clothes on the rack beside the door.

The rack was filled with black bodysuits that were worn under my SPI armor. Along with that there were boots and undergarments. As I dress, I hear a hissing sound behind me that was the sound of the others being thawed out.

All of them stumble out of their pods, squinting their eyes as their vision is still adjusting to the drastic change in light. Sam gags and begins to vomit out bile. "God I hate that shit they feed us." She growls, referring to the Bronchial surfactant and spits on the floor.

I knew what she meant. The drug was used protect the lungs on stasis for long periods of time, though always left a bad taste in my mouth days after being awakened.

"Don't forget to spit." The tech on the speaker add dryly. "And please use the bucket." A panel slides opens to reveal a stainless steel bucket. I grab it and proceed to spit up before passing it around.

The others do the same. "Can we please get dressed now. I don't know what freaky shit you guys dreamt off in the freezer, but mine didn't involve a room full of naked Spartans."

Nathan chuckles and pats his shoulder. "Awww come on big guy, it's nothing we haven't seen before."

"I once walked into the guys shower by mistake," Persephone picks around at some of the clothes. "I saw everything."

Sam adopts a hurt expression and strikes a pose. "What's the matter? You don't like what you see?"

Even though my sister joined in on the teasing, I didn't fail to notice the way she blushed when she saw Nathan. I suppress a smile but don't call her out on it.

That would come later when they were alone.

Andrew looks scandalized and avoids making eye contact with anyone and just look at the ceiling. "You guys are sick." He chuckles and begins t dress. By the time they all finished dressing, all of them seemed to have gotten over their initial cryo sickness. Even my headache subsided.

"Everyone set?" I ask and head to the bridge of. I recall the internal design of a Paris-class heavy frigate and jog through the halls. The techs and naval personnel moved crisply past us, none of them stop to talk us or offer to help. But I could tell the way there by the signs and right past them.

The bridge was filled with a variety of naval officers, all hunched and glued to their consoles. Even though there was no battle at the moment, all of them remained stoic and empathic. Ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

The Captain of the ship was standing near the main tactical display. But he wasn't the person Pi was suppose to meet.

General Athena Chase was leaning by the Holo-tank, studying a 3-D diagram of the planet below. She was without a doubt one of the UNSCs most capable generals. General Athena had a reputation of being masterful strategist that often lead her to he referred to as the bane of the Covenant. In over a dozen engagements she had decisively beaten the Covenant army, two of which had saved a planet.

Not just held. Saved.

I take a step closer and salute. "You wanted to see us ma'am."

Athena turns from her work to face us. "Yes," She looks both sides to the crewmen. "Not much of a warm welcome eh. Welcome aboard the UNSC Paris. I'm guessing Commander Ambrose didn't brief you Spartans on your new assignment after your graduation. "

"Thank you ma'am." Persephone nods. "And no, he did not."

I actually hadn't seen him at all during our Headhunter training. After our first mission against the Insurrectionists we were immediately shipped back to Onyx. Though instead of returning to our old camp, we were sent to some far off facility at the other end of the planet. The only ones there were Mendez and a couple of trainers who seemed intent on making their lives a living hell.

Those thirteen months of hard training had been some of the most difficult things I ever had to endure. But it was all worth it.

Athena doesn't seem surprised. "That's not surprising, because this mission is far above even his pay grade." She leans in closer to make sure we're all listening. "What we're doing here is strictly off the books. Do you all understand.""

"Crystal ma'am." We reply.

She nods. "Good, now I suppose I should start on where we are. This is Tuarus system. Now if you give me a minute." She turns around to the map and begins to enhance it.

Andrew scrolls through the after action display on his data pad. He discreetly passes it to each of us. The systems colonies were the latest victim of the Covenant destruction.

Over two divisions of battle hardened marines under the command of General Athena stood in the way of their advance. But despite even her abilities and seasoned troops, the aliens technology and numbers won out in the end.

Casualties are still coming in, but it seemed the UNSC Paris was all that's left aside from a handful of scattered ships.

"I see you're reading the battle report." The General says without turning around.

I quickly turn my attention back to her and toss Andrew his tablet back. "Sorry ma'am."

Her eyes shine with approval and she nods for us to continue. "Go ahead. The search for wisdom is always an admirable quest Spartan. Now on with the mission. Annabeth if you please."

As if born from the shadows, a figure steps out of from the darkness. Annabeth looked exactly like a younger version of the General. She was about my age and a few inches shorter than me. They had the same curly blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. Was she the Athena's daughter.

What was more surprising was that she was was wearing an ONI uniform.

She was pretty cute though. I flash her a subtle wink which causes her to blush and turn away. Annabeth hands Athena a disk which she plugs into the Holo table. The planet zips into a highly detailed view of one of the cities.

"Although the planet had fallen, the Covenant have decided not to outright glass the world," Athena explains. "instead they were using it as a base to resupply their offensive. Ships are regularly coming in and out to dock in the city. There leaves us a golden opportunity."

"It's the largest Covenant staging ground we've seen in this sector." Annabeth cuts in and steps forward. She speaks quickly and excitedly, adjusting her glasses. "It's quite remarkable really. Something like this was completely unheard of."

Everyone cranes their heads to her in surprise and more than a little disgust. Only an ONI agent could be fascinated by destruction like this.

She leans in closer and I can see the excitement plain on her face. "If we take out the Covenant staging ground here, then it will leave them in chaos. At least for the time being. This will give the opportunity to rally our forces and could give us a fighting chance."

Normally I would have had a dozen questions in mind. But Athena seemed to radiate confidence that was just infectious to all of us. When I look at her again I was sure I still cryo sickness cause I could have sworn she was glowing gray. Despite the monumental task she was asking from us, my team was grinning eagerly at her. "When do we leave ma'am?"

She smiles back and at us. "In a few hours Spartans, but you might want to pay a visit to the ship's armory. I think the Commander had something shipped in for you." That last part was said with a hint of excitement.

"Thank you ma'am." I nod as the five of us walk out. I hear rapid footsteps coming up behind me. Annabeth soon comes up beside me. "I can take you there." She volunteers, jogging ahead of us.

Andrew runs to my side and shrugs. I lean over to Annabeth. "So Annabeth is it? Aren't you a bit young to be a spook?" I smile at her.

She doesn't break her pace and keeps a blank face. "I could say the same thing about you Spartan."

I stop for a second, but quickly start running when Nathan bumps into me. "Wait? How did you know I was a Spartan, or how old I am?"

Now it was her turn to smirk. "I am a 'spook' as you put it. I read your files while we were waiting for you. You're name is Percy Jackson, you're fourteen and a half and you're Spartan tag is B-313." She nudges herself to Persephone. "And she's your twin sister."

Persephone grunts and brushes a stray strand of hair from her face. "Of course you'd know that. Anyone could tell we're related just by taking one look at us."

"My mother teaches me to know everything you can about the people you work with or against. Knowledge is the best weapon. That's why my mother allowed me to work in ONI so young." She looks down at the floor ruefully. "Though only in a research job."

"Well the best weapon to me is training and experience." Persephone doesn't sound particularly convinced. Andrew nods in agreement. "Same with me."

Sam grins and pushes past him, throwing and catching her knife. "Nah. Good instincts are probably the best thing that would keep you alive in battle."

Annabeth ignores her. "We'll see when we meet on the battlefield." She mutters silently before tapping the keypad on the wall. "Master guns! Where are you?"

"Just finishing some final touches for the Spartans armor." A voice calls from the armory in a thick british accent.

"Well the Spartans are here now Sergeant."

"What?" A tall marine in a rumpled up uniform stumbles out of the room and salutes to her. "Lieutenant."

"At ease." Annabeth returns the gesture and steps aside for us to pass. He glances over his shoulder towards us and gives a friendly smile. "Master Gunnery Sergeant Maurice Hodges at your service."

Persephone extends her hand in a greeting which the Sergeant shakes heartily. "Spartan fireteam Crusader."

He claps his hands and begins to return into the chamber. Annabeth waves goodbye to us before leaving. Maurice pulls a crate open and points at it. "Excellent Spartans. A Lieutenant-Commander on some far off world was quite insistent on having this shipped here. Says it's for you." He slides it over towards us with his foot.

Sam takes a peek inside and suddenly lets out an unusually girlish squeal. "Oh my god! Oh my God!" She pulls out her shotgun from the crate, it's bayonet gleaming from the LED lights above. It was wrapped in plastic and vacuum sealed. She hugs it tightly and grins from ear to ear.

The rest of us gasp with excitement and dig into the box for our own weapons. Andrew had his flamethrower, Nathan his sniper, Persephone got her battle rifle and I my old assault rifle. Interestingly enough, when I examine it I see what appears to be a grenade launcher attached below the barrel in the place of the flashlight.

Persephone holds up her rifle for me to see. It was now newly painted with purple stripes running across it.

Maurice notices my confusion and whistles appreciatively. "Ah, the M301 grenade launcher, though most people call it the forty mike-mike. It's an attachment for the assault rifle so you can fire grenades as well as flashbangs."

I nod and look at the weapon, silently thanking Commander Ambrose. "That's not all." Maurice begins to walk over to one end of the room. Five clear glass tubes were at the end of the room with five identical sets of SPI armor suspended on it.

My eyes widen and I approach them. I recognize some of the dents on one of them. From the time I fell off a cliff during a rock climbing accident, a patch of paint from a TTR round that I never scrubbed. It wasn't just any SPI armor, it was my armor. I feel the Master Gunnery Sergeant placing his hand on my shoulder. "I received order from your commanding officers to make sure with my life that this got on board safety."

The others were also looking at their armor too. None of them were particularly sentimental, but just the looks on their faces showed how much their armor being here meant to them. The tubes suddenly whoosh open.

I spare a glance back at the Master Gunnery Sergeant who was at the control panel. "Well what are you Spartans waiting for? Put it on."

None of us need to be told a second time before we all begin to don our new armor. A year ago it would have taken me a good half hour to put it on. But after my training I learned to put it on in mere minutes.

Soon we were all dressed in our old green and steel armor. But I notice that they weren't identical as I first thought. Similar sure, but some had new variations to them. Andrew had several additional armor plates to protect him while Sam had what appears to be a pair of knife holsters at the knee.

"Woah." Nathan gasps and slowly steps back, moving in a complete circle. "My suit got a new motion tracker. Better range and vision."

I was happy for them, but I feel a twinge of jealousy as I examine my own armor. As far as I see there was no new modifications. Then I notice an icon that I never saw before at the upper right corner of my armor. It was of a human with one fist on the ground while a circle surrounded him. What the heck was this? Some sort of forcefield?

Hmm. Only one way to find out. I move ten paces away from them and slam my fist to the ground, trying to mimic the pose of the icon. A jolt of electricity courses outwards through my armor and blasts out all around me. When I look around there was a bright blue force field surrounding me.

The others were watching me in stunned silence. Their jaws were practically dropping out of their helmets. I grin at their expressions and stand up, admiring the shield. It was made of dozens of honeycomb shaped panels.

"This is our new experimental drop shield." The Master Guns explains. "We created it based on the Covenants bubble shield, though its not quite as durable." To prove his point he pulls out his pistol and fires repeatedly at the shield.

The first few rounds bounce off harmlessly but the eighth shot causes the shield to turn dark red. "When it turns red it means that it will break so keep that in mind."

His twelfth shot completely collapses the shield. It collapses like glass and leaves me exposed. The Sergeant smiles but keeps his gun trained on me. He begins counting to himself and once he reaches ten, fires again.

Before anyone could even scream, the bullet cuts through the air unimpeded, instead of entering my arms, as soon as it makes contact with my armor something flares to life and knocks the bullet off its course.

It falls to the floor with a soft clank. When I pick it up the bullets been completely flattened.

"Oh yes." Maurice smiles and I feel his hand on my shoulder. "The new models of SPI armor was made specifically for new Spec Ops units to include energy shields for you Headhunters."

"That's so cool!" Persephone squeals loudly causing everyone, the Sergeant included to chuckle. I guess seeing supposedly disciplined Spartans acting to giggling like excited kids was an unusual sight. "I wonder what I got."

She takes two steps forward before vanishing into thin air. We all jump back as Sam raises her shotgun. "What the hell!" She points it in the spot my sister was standing seconds before.

"Woah!" Persephone's voice shrieks. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The Blonde haired Spartan's gun dips down. She cocks her head in confusion and looks around. "Persephone? Where are you?"

"I'm right in front of you." Came the confused reply. All of us looks at each other uncertainly. All except Maurice whose leaning against one of the walls calmly. "Its active camp Spartans. The eggheads in ONI adapted it from Covenant stealth elite technology.

Then something pricks at the back my mind. I glance back at the Sergeant suspiciously. How does a low ranked marine know so much about this armor. Persephone beats me to the punch and begins to ask. "Are you a-"

"ONI operative? Yes." His face stretches to a grin.

"Did you fight on the planet with General Athena?" Sam asks excitedly. It was unusual for her to be so excitable, but Athena was regarded as a hero to them. None of them were about to pass up a first hand account.

The Sergeant chuckles and pulls a chair from the side and positions it in front of us. "Heh. I kind of feel like an old man." He slaps his thigh and gestures us to come closer. "Well what are you waiting for? Gather around kids and I'll tell you the story of the battle of Erus IV."

We all talk excitedly and take seats on crates around him. "So here I was on Erus IV." He waves his hands in the air dramatically. "With our forces spread thin between the four colonies here, General Athena could only spare six regiments to protect the city. We were tasked with evacuating the civilians, but the Covenant came in three weeks ago by the tens of thousands. We fought them for a week, using everything we had. Tanks, bombs, and air support. Athena even had us use the sewer system to launch ambushes against the advancing Covenant."

The sewer system. Brilliant. "But in the end we were defeated. All the General could have done as order one quick evacuation before abandoning the city. Unfortunately it was sloppy and disorganised. Hundreds were left behind including most of my men."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Persephone pats his shoulder and grows sombre.

He seems to wave it off, but I could see the sadness in his face. "Well that's war. Not everyone will be able to make it out."

"God now I'm nervous about heading down to the city." Nathan mutters to himself. "If the Covenant destroyed the city's defenses so thoroughly, how the hell are we going to even get inside without being turned to floating molecules."

"They probably have plenty anti-air defences. So Pelicans are out." Sam mutters.

Suddenly the Sergeant begins to smile. "Something funny?" Persephone questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh nothing." He shakes his head. "It's just that you kids are so cute thinking that you'll be using Pelicans to reach the surface."

I knit my eyebrows suspiciously. "Then, how will we be getting there?"

His grin broadens.

 **Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter. I promise that I'll make for it in the next one. Also, wow over three thousand views when I last checked. Thank you all of you wonderful guys and girls reading, faving, following and reviewing. It has been really encouraging me to keep up this story. Though if any of you have any advice on how I could improve this story, don't hesitate to tell me via review or PM :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Persephone's POV**

I was seriously beginning to curse my luck right now. Within two hours of getting onboard this ship, I moved from a cramped freezing shell to a cramped burning shell.

Just perfect.

If given the choice I would have preferred staying back into this HEV than going back to my freezer. I was always terrified of those damned things. That one day I would go in tear and freeze to death or lose a limb to frostbite.

But that certainly didn't mean I had to enjoy this. I hiss and pull my legs away from the bottom of the pod as it heats up from reentry to the atmosphere. Already then metal was starting to turn red from the pressure.

Damn that burns.

I've heard enough stories about HEV malfunctions that lead to death to know that it wasn't a far fetched possibility.

Despite my suits coolant systems, I still feel beads of sweat form at my brow and trickle down my check. "We're about to break atmosphere!" Percy's voice comes of as raspy and crackled from then HEVs built in radio.

I groan as there was a sudden jerk bump in my pod, as if it had collided with something. I resist the urge to vomit as I feel my stomach ascend into my mouth. Instead I try to take my mind of those happy thoughts and focus on the lightbulb above my head.

Underneath is was a lever which I was to pull as soon as the light flashes red. It was going to activate the parachute that would slow my fall enough to make a landing.

If I pull it too soon then the chute would burn up and leave me crashing on the ground at around a million miles a second. Too late and it would cause insufficient air resistance and leave me with nothing to do but hope for the best.

Neither great choices for how to choose to die.

I to gaze at then monitor showing how many miles are left between me and good old solid ground.

My nausea returns with a vengeance as I see the number in its tens of thousands and steadily decreasing far too slowly for me.

Suddenly alarm bells start to ring within the pod. The red light was now alive and shining the whole HEV. I quickly extend my hand towards the lever above my head and feel my fingers wrap around it and pull with all my strength.

There was a loud whoosh as the shoot slides out from the top of the pod. Like hand pulling a stone out of the water, then pod suddenly jerks upwards that I nearly hit the ceiling.

But the HEV was slowing down. Maybe I wasn't going to die in this damn thing. I exhale loudly and slump back on my harness. But my relief only lasts a few moments as I hear the chute detach itself.

Oh gods! I grip the leather straps around me, hyperventilating. Even though I was informed that it was supposed to happen, it still terrifying. I risk a glance out the window and was grateful to see the blue skies above me.

"Persephone! You're going to fast!" Nathan suddenly cries over the speaker which until now was completely silent.

Then pressure was too much for me to take and I can violently pull against my harness, not sure what I was hoping to accomplish. "What do I do!" I yell in return.

"Brace for impact!" His voice suddenly breaks off as my pod slams against the ground. Then straps of my harness snap and throw me against the side of my HEV as darkness overtakes me.

* * *

 **Nathan's POV**

"Persephone!" I try to radio her again through my helmet after her feed was cut off. "Perse where are you?"

"Percy isn't responding either." Andrew confirms. "I think they crashed somewhere."

I curse silently at our luck so far. The mission has barely begun and we've already have two fifths of our fireteam MIA. "Well what the hell do we do now?" I growl, keeping my frustration in check.

"We meet up at the rendezvous point and then we can for them then." Andrew says calmly and I hear a loud slam as he kicks the door of his HEV down.

"I didn't land too far from the rally point." Sam replies. "I'm heading there."

"What about you Nathan?" I unstrap my harness and grab my pistol.

I kick open my drop pods doors and stretch my limbs. I was grateful that nothing appeared broken I landed in an old park so I had a good view of everything for about a hundred meters.

I wander around and switch to my sidearms 2X scope and see there were no nearby Covenant within the area. Though given all the noises we made, it won't be long until a few squads of the would be arriving.

"Nathan please confirm." Andrew asks again before I shut off my radio. The two of them had a point with meeting up first to coordinate, but like hell I was going to leave Persephone if she was out there and possibly hurt.

My enhanced motion tracker could help them

I run back to my pod and find my sniper was still clipped to one of its side doors. I pry it off and inspect it for any damages. Once I was satisfied that it was functioning properly, I load a fresh magazine into it and sling it over my shoulders.

If I could get to higher ground, then I can scan more of the city with my motion tracker. I run out of the park and quickly take cover behind a couple of thrash cans as I see a group of Covenant Grunts.

They were little squat aliens standing about a meter tall and covered in a blue exoskeleton. True to their name, these guys were the Covenants main infantry, and some of the weakest fighters.

They march in a loose formation with their plasma pistols. The leader in his crimson harness was a few feet ahead and barks as his subordinates impatiently when they begin to trail behind.

I use my sniper's scope to take aim at him when a rumbling noise shakes the ground and throws me off aim before I could fire.

I quickly retreat back behind cover as the sound gets louder. A Covenant Wraith turns the corner and joins the Grunts. A Wraith was the Covenant's equivalent of an MBT except instead of firing forward, the plasma cannon fires upwards like a mortar.

The gunner on the tank looks pretty bored and doesn't seem to notice. Slowly the sound of the tank vanishes into the distance. Once I was sure that they were gone I sprint away across the street and head up a parking lot.

I squat down and spot a pair of buzzard headed Jackals waiting at roof. I remember them as the Covenants scouts and snipers, or at times hunting hounds against civilians. But I knew from videos that they were equally as vicious on the front lines with an energy cutlass or a plasma pistol.

They were sitting on the side of the building, chatting with each other. Then helmets and spotting gear identify them to be snipers.

I sling my rifle on my back and pull out my handgun as I approach them. My SPI armor turns into a drab gray to blend with the ground. I slam then butte of my gun against the neck of one off the Jackals and causes it to tumble off the ground.

The second one gasps and struggles to pull out his plasma pistol before I fire at his head. I push his body aside as I look at my motion tracker. Unfortunately it looks like almost the entire map was covered with red dots that represent an enemy.

I swear and take cover as one such dots flies above me in the form of a Covenant fighter.

It would only take one stray fighter to spot me to completely blow my cover. If I was gonna survive I would need to keep moving. I looks over the edge of the building. It was about ten feet away to the other building.

I move back until my back was pressing against the other end of the parking lot before beginning to sprint forward. Ten feet was the only thing separating me from the other building or a pretty nasty mess on the floor.

Five feet away.

From the sound below I can hear the loud mechanical noises of Covenant vehicles. Four feet, three.

It would be too late to stop now. Even if I could get myself to slow down. There wasn't enough room separating me from the ledge. I leap on the parking lots railing and risk a glance down to see a pair of Covenant Ghosts whizzing by.

I stumble and unintentionally let my speed a fraction as I launch myself off the building.

 _Shiiiit!_ I curse myself and shut my eyes tight as I feel my legs flailing in the air. I spread my arms apart and straighten my posture to glide forward. Seconds later I feel myself hit something hard stomach first.

I open my eyes and was surprised to see that I was on the concrete floor then next building roof. I glance back and feel a smile form as I see myself separated from the edge by at least two meters.

Quickly I climb to my feet and check my readout again. I growl angrily as the results were still negative.

I walk around then other three sides of the building and scan again only to be bitterly disappointed. Each time the readout shows a negative scan I feel my frustration grow.

I kick some stray pebbles on the ground off the edge and bite back a snarl. Why can't I find her! Since the start of the mission then only thing I could think of was if Persephone was safe.

Of course I knew she could take care of herself, she'd be a damned awful Spartan of she couldn't. But she could see then fear in her eyes when she took a look at then HEVs.

As if some old masculine instinct took over, all I wanted to do wrap my arms around her and assure her that everything was ok. But I was a Spartan too. I knew I couldn't coddle my squadmates.

Still, the only option was to keep going. I leap over to the next building and check there. I repeat this until then fifth building where when I was shocked to see a yellow dot advancing slowly below me.

But when I check, all I see is a squad of Covenant soldiers. A trio of elites plus about a dozen grunts. I peer into the scope of my sniper and adjust the magnification, focusing on the group to see any sign of Percy or Persephone.

Yet there was none yet the yellow dot continues to stay right on top of them. Well if I'm going to get answers, those bastards are gonna be the ones who give it.

I take aim at the Cobalt armored elite watching the groups back with his plasma rifle raised and constantly sweeping beside them as if expecting an attack from behind.

Though none of them seem to be looking above. I grin and squeeze the trigger, watching the bullet enter Blue boys head. The Minor fires his rifle from reflex as he drops to his knees, then fully collapses to the ground.

Then grunts leap back in surprise and a few break away from the group. Then Crimson armored elite and his surviving subordinate squat down to present smaller targets and roar to their grunts, rallying a few to their side in a loose circle.

I fire again and nail a grunt overcharging his pistol at the chest. This time the elites spot then vapor trail left behind and open fire at my position.

"Fuck." I growl as plasma rounds whiz over my head and splash against my shields, draining about a quarter of them. I squat down and waddle several feet to the left. I pull a fragmentation grenade out and pull out then pin before chucking it to the ground.

"Grenade!" A grunt screams as he was consumed by the explosion. A heartbeat later I look over the edge and was pleased to see that then second Minor and seven grunts were taken by the explosion.

I casually get my sniper and pick off the surviving Covenant. The Major crawls away, a piece of shrapnel sticking out off his shin as he drags himself away from the explosion. Just for good measure, I shoot his other leg before casually making my way downstairs.

The Major manages to crawl a grand total of about three feet by the time I reach the ground floor. He glares at me venomously as he looks for his rifle. There was a huge crack on it and he throws it away.

He pulls out an energy dagger from his gauntlet and raises it in defiance. "Relax." I raise my hands to show they were empty. "I just want some answers."

My voice was carried from my communicator and is translated to the Sangheili for him to understand.

He speaks in a guttural noise through his own communications device. "I will answer nothing to you human." He spats in between my feet.

"Well you can't exactly fight me with that tiny knife." I pull out my gun and take aim at his forehead. "I'd put a bullet in your brain before you can even raise that thing. So you're only option is to answer my questions."

A bloody grin spreads across his face as he raises his dagger. And I have no illusion of my situation human. But just so you know, I have another option in mind." Without warning he suddenly plunges the dagger into his chest.

I rush forward to stop him, but he already slumps on the ground, his purple blood leaking from the wound and his mouth. He turns to me and spats one last time before the light fades from his eyes.

I place a hand on his neck, looking for a pulse, but keeping my other hand with my gun pointed at his head in case of any funny business. But I found no pulse. My lips press together into a thin line.

Without a backwards glance, I begin to walk away when the Elites communicator starts to beep. "Report Major!" A gruff voice barks loudly. He was briefly cut off my assault weapon fire. "Where is your squad? The Demon has my warriors pushed back."

Demon? He heard the Covenant use that term before. Always when referring to Spartans. That's why they were following a yellow dot. They were trailing some Spartan.

But that still doesn't answer the question where he was. I check again and then dot has moved several feet away. I follow it and stop on a manhole. I pry it open and leap down, only to land right in front of an Elite, mid swing of his rifle.

He cocks his head in confusion and hesitates attacking. "Nathan?" Someone says in surprise. Before I can reply then Elite slams his rifle at my chest and prepares to finish my off when a hail of bullets causes him to collapse in a gruesome dance.

Behind him were several assorted Covenant races.

"Open fire!" The other Spartan shouts and his rifle unleashes a barrage of 7.62mm rounds. I join in with my sniper, picking off officers in their crimson armor until the last grunt was thrown off his feet and falls into the shallow sewer water.

My friend or foe tag identifies the Spartan as Percy-B313. "Thanks for the assist Nathan." He lets the empty rifle magazine drop to the ground and loads a fresh clips. "But what are you doing out here?"

I was about to explain my actions when he seems to beat me to the punch. "You're looking for Persephone aren't you."

I nod.

"Good, that makes two of us." I notice the approval in his voice as he raises his rifle and moves forward. "Now let's go."

"Well I hope you had more luck in finding her than I did." I mutter.

Percy leaps up onto the ladder and starts climbing up. "Well I saw her crashing into the ground before I hit the dirt. My pod hit some unstable crashed and I feel into the sewers so I wasn't able to follow her."

"Where did you find her?" I follow him and pull open the manhole and climb out. I kneel down and scan the area, once I felt that it was secure, I signal for Percy to come out..

He shrugs. "Some sort of plaza. If my sense of direction is right, then this street would lead us to her." I nod and follow him.

One he was about to turn a corner I break off and approach a building with its doors ripped open. There was vicious claw marks on the door. It looks like whatever got in was pretty aggressive. I shudder and hope no one was how when whatever attacked broke in. "I'll get to higher ground and watch your back."

He nods and continues to jog to the plaza. I pull out my pistol and enter the apartment lobby. The doorman was still laying on the ground, his neck bent in an odd angle. There didn't appear to be any Covenant so I took the elevator to the fifth floor. I head to the last apartment at then end off the hall.

A handful of red dots appeared from the inside. There was a loud crunching noise to confirm my suspicions. A pair of Jackals were raiding the kitchen cabinets and munching on some biscuits while a Grunt lay sprawled on the couch, sleeping soundly.

Aside from them there were three dots behind me in the bedroom and another in the kitchens supply closet.

I focus first on the Jackals with Oreo crumbs on his cheek and squeeze the trigger. Then gun bucks twice and then buzzard headed alien falls with bullet holes in his head and chest. His partner manages to leap out of the way and return fire with his Carbine.

Glowing green shells hammer my shield and force me back as a fully armored Elite Minor emerges from the supply closet while a trio of Grunts appears behind me. "Nathan where are you?" Percy shouts. "I'm pinned down by snipers!"

"I'm a bit busy." I retort, lunging at the Elite and pinning his gun arm to the wall and repeatedly bash his face with my elbow.

"Hurry up." He urges, a sharp snapping noise snaps past his ear.

"In a minute!" I shout, throwing a knife at the Carbine carrying Jackal before turning my attention to then grunts and empty my clip on them. The Minor growls and shoves me back, driving his fist into my stomach before pulling his other arm free.

The blue armored Aliens mandibles pull into a tight smirk as he raises his Plasma gun and fires a number of rapid bursts at me. I back away into the hallway, firing as I retreat.

My suits alarm starts to blare into my helmet as my shields reach critically low levels. He takes a few heavy strides after me, his rifle trained in my general area.

I ready my sniper and take a deep breath. I would only have one shot to end this bastard. Counting slowly to three I roll out to then open on my belly and fire. My shot hits home and easily slams through his weakened shields and enters his chest.

A tiny _blarg_ escapes his throat as the alien collapses on the ground. I waste no time getting to my feet and sprinting out the balcony, ignoring the Grunt standing on the couch, quivering in a puddle of his own piss.

I shoulder my rifle and look for the snipers. It was easy given their headgear that emits a bright blue light. They had take residence in low balconies where they could easily spot targets in the narrow alleys as well as pour fire with their pistols. All are focusing their fire in a single alleyway which is probably where Percy is.

I spot him feebly trying to return fire with his MA5, but then rifles range wasn't built for sharp shooting. I take aim and put a bullet through each of the buzzards heads.

"About damn time." Percy says jokingly, though with a hint of anger.

"Hey you weren't then one who had to deal with a fireteam of Covies in an apartment building." Speaking off, I turn my gaze to the surviving Grunt who was still trembling in place.

I approach him and pull out my knife from then Jackals corpse and point it at him. "If you know what's good for you, get the hell out of here and tell no one. Otherwise I'll put a bullet through your brain before you reach the door. Understand?"

He jerks his head rapidly and waddles out of the room. "Alright I'm good up here."

"Well mind checking if there are any more snipers."

I swivel my rifle around, zooming in on each apartment building, every balcony until I was satisfied that they were empty. I then move to the ground to spot any patrols. There were none.

"All clear in the ground and up here." I report.

Percy doesn't reply but I spot him advancing forward. Despite my all clear sign he still moves cautiously and constantly looks around for any potential threats. I guess you can never be too careful.

"Do you have visual on her pod?" Percy asks as he crouches behind a bush. It was easy enough to find it, rubble had been thrown around during the crash and all I had to do was calculate the angle of which they were thrown and trace it back to a couple of trees.

It was a mess of tangled wreck and metal, bits and pieces of it scattered on the ground around the pod. Its front door was intact but violently kicked open as it was leaning against a tree with a large dent. Perhaps someone had climbed out.

What takes me off guard was then pool of blue and purple blood puddling the area around it. I even made out an almost talon like hand hanging limply.

"Yes. But there's something odd. Bodies, all Covenant." I fix on the bodies and make out a couple of Grunts and Jackals.

"That's good." Percy grunts and approaches the pod. He pick up the hand of a Jackal and inspects it. "That means that someone was alive enough to fight off these Covenant. There also no sign of her. No footprints, or blood."

I feel a warm sense of relief wash over me. At least Persephone had been able to escape. Now then only problems is that we have to find her. Judging by the way Percy speaks, he was just as equally relieved as I was.

Percy continues to shift around the wreckage while I watch his back. A shimmer of air catches my eye. I check my motion tracker but it didn't come out as red or yellow, just a deep blue. The pair around that area was slightly distorted and it was moving towards Percy.

"Behind you Percy!" I shout frantically.

He whirls around and points his rifle at his would be attacker. To my utter shock it was Persephone who materializes in the air. Percy drops his rifle pulls her into a bear hug.

She gladly accepts it and signals me over. "Sorry about the motion tracker guys, I needed to confuse the enemy."

"What the hell happened?" I ask, climbing down the fire escape.

She pulls away and removes her helmet, running her hand down her jet black hair, smoothing it. "Well after I crashed, I got knocked out. When I woke up I was surrounded by Covenant. They said they wanted to take me prisoner."

A deep growl comes out of Percy's throat. "Worthless Covenant bastards."

"But they realized I wasn't as wounded as they thought." She smirks and holds up her battle rifle. For the first time I notice that she was moving with a limp on her leg. A small piece of metal was sticking out between the joints of her leg plates.

I swear and grab a medkit from my survival pack. "What happened there?" I ask, pointing at her leg.

She winces and adds dryly. "When I crashed a piece of shrapnel got lodged in my leg."

I shake my head and grip it tightly. "I'm going to pull it out, please don't scream."

"I'll go stand guard." Percy offers, turning around and peers out of the bushes.

Persephone nods and bites her bottom lip, extending her leg out. I suck up a deep breath and tug at it. A tiny whimper escapes the dark haired Spartan as she struggles to keep quiet.

I try to pull again, this time managing to get it a little bit she also doesn't manage manage to hide her scream and a strangled cry escaped her lips. She forces her eyes shut as a few tears manage to push through start to streak her cheeks.

I was about to stop when she waves off my concerns. "No, keep going." She moans softly. Even Percy turns around and frowns with concern.

With trembling hands I pull again and manage to pull it out completely. Persephone covers her mouth and stiffles a scream. My chest tightens as I hear each mewling noise, practically begging me to stop.

I pick up a small stainless steel can with a nozzle sticking out and shake it to make sure the contents were still there. Once there was a small shaking noise I nod and begin to spray the white foamy substance into the wound.

To Persephone's credit she holds up against the pain quite well and doesn't say a word. "Everything good there?" Percy asks. "Cause there's a squad of Covenant coming."

"Can you walk?" I inquire and offer a hand to her.

"Ya." She grunts and takes my hand, standing up with some difficulty but otherwise seems fine. "Let's go." Persephone manages to limp rather quickly away from the Covenant. The two of us don't do anything else except follow her.

* * *

The rest of Crusader was holed up in an abandoned hotel lobby. At least it was abandoned after they killed all the Covenant stationed there. Andrew was sitting on then managers chair and absently tries to open the safe behind it while Sam was raiding the mini fridge.

Andrew was the first to notice me. He freezes for a second and jumps to his feet. "Guys? Where the hell have you been?"

Sam appears looks up from her loot and scowls. "Well it's about damn time you got here. Of course you'd guys would only arrive after we did all the fighting."

Then two of them stare at us expectantly, gesturing for me to explain myself. I quickly go over what happened and wait for them to speak.

Neither of them seem particularly happy that I essentially ditched them, but they also couldn't be too upset. "Well you could have at least told us."

I smile sheepishly. "Would I'm sorry possibly help?"

"Absolutely not." Sam says. "But there's nothing we can do about it now. Let's just finish the mission."

In that we were all in agreement. "Do you have to bomb?" Percy asks.

In response Andrew hefts up a metal canister shaped and about the size of an overinflated football. Fury Tac Nuke, it was pretty much the UNSC's version of a nuclear grenade. It has the firepower of slightly less than one megatons.

If we could place this in the right place, then we could turn this entire staging ground into a crater. We just need to find that spot.

Andrew comes out with a map of the city he found in the manager's office. He rolls it out on the table "I did some reconnaissance while we were waiting for you guys." Sam says as she begins to mark certain areas with bright red pins. "These are areas with a strong concentration of Covenant. I spotted three sites. If we are gonna plant this bomb we're going to have to hit all three."

"Well that doesn't seem so hard." Percy says, tracing a pyramid that connects to all three sites. "It looks like they're all staying close in this area. We just need to find out the building being used."

"Guys." Persephone limps to the door and peers out. "I think I found your answer." She says and we all join her there. She directs our attention to a massive tower that is easily taller than any other building in the city's skyline.

But what caught our attention were the Covenant ships hovering around it. They stayed so close to the building that it almost looked like they were part of it. Dropships and fighters would regularly fly out of the ship's hangar and land within the building.

"Seems like the place." I nod and glance at everyone else. "Let's go?"

* * *

 **Percy's POV**

It only took us a couple minutes to pack up our gear and move out. We march single file on the side of the streets, keeping close the walls and let our armor blend with the background.

After our previous encounters then last thing we need would be to have another run in with the Covies.

Andrew had taken the lead of our group. I was a little upset since it was expected for a leader to be in front, leading his troops into battle, but I also knew that his energy shields combined with his extra armor, he'd be ideal to provide us some extra protection.

Still that didn't mean I kept my assault rifle leveled just above his shoulder at all times. If we was going ahead of me then I'd make sure he was properly protected.

Meanwhile in the back was Sam. She constantly swivels around as if making sure that no Covenant would leap out of the mailbox or the bakery. Nathan was moving beside us, constantly taking cover behind cars or anything else on the side of the street while seemingly always keeping his face in the scope of his rifle while keep that pointed upwards for snipers. Though he seems to end up hitting everything as he walks.

That left only Persephone who was right behind me. Even though the biofoam patched her up nicely, she's still walking with a limp. She slowly starts to lag behind the rest of us. "Everything alright?" I look over my shoulder at her.

"Ya." I can feel she's gritting my teeth. "I think I can finish this."

"Are you sure you wanna do this? Don't push yourself too hard." I stop walking and place my hand onto her shoulder. "I don't want you getting any more hurt than you already are."

She pushes my arm off her shoulder and strides heavily, but her leg clearly wasn't as well it looked as she trips falls to her knees.. "I'm fine. I don't need you to protect me every step of the way.."

Everyone else stop walking and stops to look at us. I gesture for them to keep going and kneels down to her. Persephone was glares at the ground angrily. "See. You can't even walk straight."

"Ya I get it. I'm useless and a sad excuse of a Spartan." She kicks dirt with her boot.

"I never said that." I argue, much more quietly. "I just want you to take it easy."

"You mean a liability?"

I shake my head. "No. You'd be a liability if you were injured more and couldn't even walk."

"How do you know that?"

I look her in the eye and smile. "Cause I know my sister, and she was never one to let a little injury slow her down." My heart warms as I see her getting up with a little difficulty. "Now lets go?" I suggest.

My sister nods and follows me. The rest of Crusader was crouched behind a big black SUV. Nathan spots me and nudges his head above the car. We join them and Persephone looks over the hood of the car. When she crouches back down she remains silent for a moment. "Thats a lot of Covenant."

I peer up as well and feel the air knocked out of my lips. Just at the end of the road were hundreds of campfires with dozens of mixed aliens in each one. And just beyond is the tower.

"Seems simple enough." Sev begins to load fresh rounds into her shotgun. "Fight our way past those Covies, reach the tower, plant the bomb and get the hell out of there."

"We're not going to fight." I say immediately. "We'd be cut down before we ever reach it. And even if by some miracle we don't die, there's no guarantee that the nuke wouldn't get damaged."

"We better make our decision quickly." Nathan says, looking from the side and see a patrol of Covenant soldiers. They haven't seemed to have noticed us and thankfully seem to be heading in our direction.

I breath a sigh of relief and begin to get climb to my feet when from the corner of my eye I see one of the elites glance back to where we are.

I fall over myself trying to get behind cover. I feel Persephone and Andrews arms grab my by my legs and pull me out of sight. "Thanks." I nod and feel my heart banging around my ribcage. It would only take one stray enemy to alert the whole army of our presence.

"Don't be thankful yet." Andrew advices. "I think he saw us."

The cobalt armored alien approaches, his rifle ready just above us. "I got this." Sam grunts and suddenly grabs then warrior by his wrist and pulls him over the hood of the car. She clamps her hand down then aliens mandibles and jams her bayonet into his chest.

"Well that's one way to do it." Andrew admits begrudgingly. "But we're still going to need a distraction."

There was a loud click on the side where Nathan raises his rifle. "Now I got that"

He fires a single shot at a Grunt that was squatting too close to his campfire. The bullet hits home and knocks then diminutive alien into the fire. Seconds later his entire body bursts is consumed flames and the methane breather on his back explodes in a blinding flash, throwing the other grunts near him aside.

Covenant from nearby fires quickly get to their feet and look to the source of the explosion. Many were too stunned to do anything as two more shots down grunts to the fire, causing mass panic amongst the ranks.

Aliens that were too close to explosion themselves caught fire and ran around, spreading the chaos.

"Now we go." I shout and take off to a sprint. Then others were right behind me as we make a run away from the camp. Even amidst all the confusion we would still probably be spotted. Our best chance was to go around while everyone was too distracted to do notices.

"Let's go! Let's go!" I urge them as the higher ranked elites arrive to restore order. Without thinking, I pull out a plasma grenade from my belt and chuck it at a groupd of the arriving officers.

I didn't stick around to check whether I hit anything and just kept going. We kept running until we were at least three blocks away. We would have kept going had Nathan not suddenly stopped and look around. "Wait."

The rest of Crusader stops and forms a circle. "What is it?"

He smacks the side of his helmet as if there was a malfunction. "This can't be right. I'm detecting a couple of marine transponders nearby."

I stop in my tracks and turn to him. "That's impossible, General Athena said that all marine forces on the planet were wiped out."

"Well it looks like she was wrong." Nathan says flatly. If the General was here I was sure she would have walloped him for that comment.

"Well where are they?" Persephone inquiries.

He taps severals buttons on his readout and leans in closer. "It looks like..." He says pointing his finger west. "There. About a block out, inside the hospital."

"Well we still have a mission to complete." Sam reminds us, not convinced at what Nathan just said. "Besides, the Covenant doesn't take prisoners, they kill them." She adds that last part venomously.

"Well it doesn't seem too far off from the tower." My sister offers and steps closer to the Sniper.

"You're call boss. Whatever you choose I'm with you." Andrew adds. All eyes turn to me and stare expectantly.

I take a second to consider everything and nod my head to Sam. "We'll make it quick. Besides, we might need all the help we can get."

Nathan begins to lead the way when I notice Sam was still standing in place.. Sev's shoulders tense, but she soon relents under the pressure and joins us. "You don't seem pleased with my decision." I whisper to her.

"Covenant don't take prisoners." She repeats. "Why then hell would they start now?" She tilts her head ever so slightly to me, practically demanding an explanation.

I didn't have an answer to that. All I had were my instincts which were telling me to follow Nathan.

Nathan suddenly raises his fist. We all stop behind him and follow his eyes to the large multi story glass building. I was about to move forward but he shakes his head. "I'm counting at least eighteen contacts plus the four friendlies."

He peeks through his scope and shakes his head. "Maybe half a dozen Brutes, and a dozen grunts.'

Persephone activates her cloaking and disappears in the air. "I'll go scout ahead then hospital. We're going to need a closer look."

Her words were carried in the wind and soon vanishes. Nathan also leaves to get a better vantage point, leaving the rest of us to wait for their report. "Alright. I'm seeing half a dozen brutes and twelve grunts. Four human marines are chained to the wall."

"I got a clean shot on the Brutes Captain." Nathan mutters. "But if I take the shot then then other Brutes might kill the prisoners."

"I'll create a distraction." Persephone volunteers. "Just wait for my signal."

I was about to ask what her signal was when she cuts off her radio. Crap. Alright then, there was nothing else to do aside from preparing ourselves for Persephone's distraction. Suddenly one of the Brutes roars, spraying superheated spike rounds through the window.

Me and the others were taken off guard before quickly raising our guns and joining in then fight. Above my head two bullets whiz past and leave a thin vapour trail. They both shatter in the window.

The golden armored captain was in the midst of rallying his warriors together. Persephone was riding in the back of one of the Brutes, firing her pistol at his head.

The Captain took at her with his spike rifle when one of the bullets slams into his chest. The second one pierces his helmet and hits his brain. He actually takes a step forward before dropping on the ground dead, his blood fountains everywhere.

Persephone manages to drop her opponent and disappears again, though not before she takes a trio of spike rounds in her armor. She starts cutting the marines bonds.

The other Brutes howl at each other scatter to look for her. We all take this chance to open fire and leap in through the window. I only manage to yell at the marines to take cover as we enter.

Me and Sam quickly open fire on then Brutes on one side, our close quarter weapons are deadly to the Brutes. Andrew was at my back and sweeps his flamethrower at the nearby Grunts who run out of the room in panic, bathing the flames on their body.

Together we quickly dispatch the aliens. Persephone secure then next room and kills a Grunt playing on a gurney. Then marines shuffle out of the room and salute to us.

"Thanks for the help sir." A female with the insignia of a Lance Corporal replies. She had vague European accent. Italian maybe?

She was young, like really young. The girl could have easily been around my age of fourteen. She pretty with black hair that was a few centimeters long than regulation and her olive skin was flattered by her drab fatigues. The corporal seemed uninjured and offers me an exhausted smile.

Yet I hide my scowl beneath my helmet upon seeing at the glassy look in her eyes. Her dark eyes were sunken and constantly glance from side to side as if she could never relax.

 _That was how bad the war was_. I muse bitterly. _Even fourteen year old girls are given guns and expected to fight._

"It's no problem corporal. But you might wanna get out of here cause in a few minutes this place will just be another crater, along with the rest of the Covenant in it."

She snaps a salute and leaves to gather her men. There were two males and another female. None of them were much older than I was. One might have even been a year younger than me.

All with the same empty looks on their faces. Was this how he and the rest of Crusader had looked like on their first mission over a year ago? I look down my gloved fist. No, we were trained to do this for as long as I can remember. These marines weren't, that meant they had something to live for outside of war.

I clench my fist tightly. And like hell I was gonna let them die on my watch. "Alright everyone." I shout, pulling out my rfile. "Let's move out."

"Might wanna delay that order boss." Persephone hollers, pressing her back against the support beams of the doors. Aside from her voice I could make out the loud hum of alien engines.

My sister moves from her cover and takes aim above, firing a couple of bursts before scrambling backs as a bombardment of plasma fire rains down on her. It paints then ground a radioactive purple color and two massive shapes drop from the open bays.

A pair of behemoths are both crouched down on their hunches with oversized metal shields raised in front of them. As one they rise to full height, a terrifying twelve feet and release an unearthly growl.

They level their arm mounted plasma cannons and take aim.


	12. Chapter 12

Percy's POV

"Get down!" I shout, throwing myself down on the floor. Then others do the same a few seconds later, but one young marine in the back was frozen in place. His dark brown eyes widen as he was fixed on the Hunters cannon as it charges up and a green blob forms in front of it.

Bianca slams into him at the last second just as twin plasma bolts whizzle over their heads and burns through the wall behind them and leaves a gaping hole there.

The Lance Corporal growls angrily as the Hunters prepare to fire again. She scoops up a plasma rifle from the ground and fires at one of the behemoths. Even the superheated plasma bolts doesn't even scratch their quarter meter thick armor.

It lets a guttural roar and his gun trails after her, taking aim. She continue to scream madly and fires until her weapon overheats. Despite the stupidity of her actions, I can't help but grin a little. The Corporal had guts.

Alien number 2 Charges forward and simply smashes through the glass walls and roars out, spreading his arms in a wide gesture. "Weapons free!" I shout, firing my gun at full auto. My fireteam quickly joins in, then marines lag for a moment but quickly lay down extra fire.

Still at that moment then Mgalekgolo lowers its shield arms and advances again despite the hail of gunfire. Then only that forces it back is Andrew. He ignites his flamethrower and moves forward, sending gouts of flame to the hulking alien. A high pitched hissing sound comes from it as the Hunter pulls its arms back, several of the worms there falling out, still burning as they wiggle on the ground and die.

The heavy weapons spartan presses his advantage and begins to step forward, waving his flamethrower around to expose it to fire from the rest of the marines. Meanwhile Bianca dodges some more plasma fire from the hunter, but can't seem to do any damage to it.

She leaps on the front desk and firs as the hunter charges. Bianca launches herself up but doesn't manage to completely make the jump and brushes against the aliens side, sending her stumbling to the tiled floor.

"Come on she needs help." I stride forward and take aim at then alien, switching from my assault weapon to its grenade launcher function. Sam sprints ahead of me, taking potshots at the hunter with her shotgun. She leaps and launches herself from fallen furniture and then walls before doing a somersault and landing right behind her enemy.

Before it can swivel around and crush her with its massive shield, Sev blows another round into its unprotected behind. The Hunter recoils, stumbling a step and disorients it long enough for me to begin firing at its side.

My high explosive rounds, easily blow through its armor and sends worms and orange blood blossoming everywhere.

It stumbles and crashes heavily a foot away from the corporeal. A second later a second crash causes us to turn around. The second Hunter was destroyed as well, burnt and riddled with bullet holes.

The young private who Bianca saved was still on the ground, staring at the us in awe. For the first time I noticed how much he looked like the Lance Corporal. He looked younger, maybe a year or so. Was he Bianca's brother? She kneels down to him and shakes him by the shoulder. "Nico, nico. Are you alright?"

The soldier regains his bearings and nods. Bianca pulls him into a tight hug and I saw her blinking tears away.

"Well I guess that's how you kill it." Nathan nudges the alien with his boot. "Now what do we do?"

I look at the marines who were looking at us, waiting for orders. "We're going to finish our mission. Marines are you with us?"

One of the soldiers approaches me and checks his Needlers clip. "What do we need to do? You said that this city was going to be a crater. What did you mean by that?"

"My team's mission was to destroy the city in order to deny the Covenant a vital supply post to give us a chance to fight back."

Bianca stands up and helps Nico to his feet. "Well count us in." She gestures around. "These things took our home from us and I'm gonna make sure they don't keep it."

Her other marines share the same determined glares and pull their weapons close to their chest. I shake my head slightly, disgusted at how this war was forcing children to turn into soldiers. Where we any different? Yes we were, some of us were trained since we were children.

"Ya, but how do we get up there? After our last mishap I wouldn't be surprised if half the Covenant was looking for us down here." Persephone reloads her rifle and scans outside for any more enemies."

"What if we traveled by air?" Nathan suggests. "I doubt anyone would raise an eyebrow if they saw one more dropship in the skies."

"I might be able to fly one if we do get one." Andrew offers. "But that's the real problem. Getting one."

I walk around and look at the Covenant bodies. "These guys seemed pretty eager to kill us." I note, stepping into the bodies.

"Ya so?" Sam growls, shrugging it off as a minor annoyance. "What the hell will that do to help us?"

"What if we can convince them to attack again? Like maybe we set up a tempting target and get some Covies to move on us. Maybe send a dropship against us?"

"Ya." Persephone brightens, snapping her fingers. "Ya that could work. But how do we do that?"

"This is absolutely nuts." Sam mutters, running her hand across her sweat soaked hair. Suddenly grinning, she picks up her shotgun. "I love it. Is this your idea of a date or something?"

"Don't flatter yourself." She sticks her tongue out and slides her helmet over her head. I shake my head in amusement and looks through my scopes.

A large patrol of Covenant troops marching through the main street. In this group included a Shadow, a Covenant equivalent of a transport truck and a Wraith tank whose plasma mortar oddly fires upwards instead of straight so I'd have to keep my eyes open for that.

Around them are about fifteen assorted aliens acting as their escort. "Everyone in position?"

Seven green acknowledgment lights wink off all around the streets and rubble. I hold up my hand and show Same my three fingers counting down. She nods and throws me a plasma grenade.

On three the I leap off our ledge. I lands on the ball of my feet right on top of tank. The gunner gasps in surprise, but above me a sizzling ball of energy burns into the tank and then resulting EMP leaves him trying to fire. I grin and slide down to the tank's hatch just as Sam joins me and throws the Unggoy out of the gunners seat.

Then foot soldiers were too shocked to respond immediately and this was only compounded just as the rest of the team moves forward, pouring fire into their group.

I press the little red button on the grenade and lift the hatch. At this point the pilot was just about to raise his plasma rifle at me when I grab him by the scruff of his neck and pull him out before he could fire.

The blue armored Elite rolls off the tank followed by an armed plasma grenade. I slide back inside and close the hatch above me. Just as I lock it I feel the Wraith shuddering to one side.

The Shadows turret had swiveled and is spraying plasma fire down at us. "Sam I need so cover fire!" I shout, pressing random buttons to get this damn mortar working.

My team was too busy in dealing with the infantry, though at least it seems that they've gained the upperhand. The Spartans advanced forward to get in close with their short range weapons while the marines remained to take cover in the rubble to snipe at the Covenant.

Sam nods and thumbs the firing studs of her gun. A seemingly endless stream of superheated plasma bolts bursts out from the plasma turret, searing the flesh off a pair of Jackals who tried to assist the gunner by adding their own small arms to then arsenal. Now then two were tumbling off the edge as half burnt corpses.

The transports gunner momentarily stops his attack to avoid suffering the same fate as his soldiers and takes cover. In that time I slam my finger down a glowing symbol. From one of then mounted cameras I see the top of my tank beginning to open up to let the plasma mortar slide out.

A grin forms on my face as I watch the targeting crosshair line up with the shadow and turn red. Hitting the button again a huge blob sizzles out of the mortar and burns right through the Shadow.

My tank must have been too close because as the explosion happens my tank was blown back a few feet and slams into a wall behind me. I buck upwards, feeling as if I was kicked by a wild horse.

Then Transport was clearly unusable but I fire two extra shots just for good measure. At this time then rest of the Covenant was driven back save for a handful of warriors. "Let one of them live." I order them. "We need him to call for help."

Among the survivors was the commanding officer, a heavily armored Elite in a white combat harness crouches down behind some rubble and tries to return fire with his rifle.

He was screaming something in his native language to a radio, something like Spartans. Tanks. Ambush. Kill kill kill. A heartbeat after he finishes his message, a sniper round finds itself in his skull and slumps his body to the dirt.

"Everyone ok?" I ask, pushing the hatch open and climbing out to survey the battlefield.

"No thanks to you're driving that is." One of the marines replies as he narrowly avoided getting run over when my tank was thrown back.

"Well lets just hope this was all worth it." Bianca says as her plasma rifle opens up to vent excess heat. "I guess all we have to do is wait." She adds, pushing a corpse of a Grunt off before wiping blood of the dirt mound and sitting down.

We didn't have to wait long as within a few minutes a single U-shaped dropship appears from the cityscape and speeds towards us. I climb back into the hatch and fire. Two mortars sail over the enemy gunship and were clean misses.

They weren't intended to hit, just get its attention away from the others. It seems to work as the Spirit's main weapon, a large plasma turret mounted on its undercarriage fixes itself in a firing position directly at us.

Sam's gun flares above me, scything through the air as a deadly stream of plasma connects with the dropship. Most people would have been burned right through, but a heavily armored gunship was a completely different story as its own weapon returns toe volley to much deadlier effect. When I reach down to the controls, sparks begin to fly before I could reach it.

More parts of the Wraith begin to malfunction as we're showered by plasma. "Sam are you alright?" I shout, noticing that she's stopped firing.

"I'm being shot at by a fucking alien dropship how do you think I'm doing?" She snarls, taking cover behind the turret.

A small explosion blows several plates off and the tanks. The tank drops like a stone to the ground. They must have hit something important. I pound my fist against the hatch. "Sam let's get out of this thing."

Immediately after pulling my upper body out I'm beset by plasma fire. My shields drain to only a quarter and alarms begin to ring around my helmet. I burst into a sprint and dive role to Bianca's position.

At this point the dropship had ground to a halt and was now just hovering in place. Its side doors open and Covenant begin to pour out. Grunts, Jackals and Elites drop to the ground and immediately advance to battle.

"Take them out Nathan!" I shout, firing my rifle at an Elite leading the charge. Suddenly sniper rounds begin to get poured into then disembarking troops, taking an Elite, a Grunt and two Jackals.

A quick breeze rushes past me and heads to the Spirit. A vague outline of a human dodges plasma fire and Covenant soldiers.

Persephone changes her direction slightly, sending her fist into his stomach and causing him to flop on the ground. She didn't even slow down as she approached her target. She leaps into the air, her hands finding a grip onto the ship's doors just as it begins to slide upwards.

"Come on sis, get in." I mutter silently. She grunts from then strain and pulls herself upwards and manages to slip inside just as it shuts. Now I start to pray quietly for Persephone's safety, meanwhile taking on those Covenant that managed to land.

Eventually we manage to drive them back to a small circle. The ragged survivors prepare for a final defense when their own Spirit turns and fires at them. None of them were expecting an attack from behind and three were killed before the others could react.

They either try to return fire or run but don't get very far. "Anyone call for a lift?" Persephone's voice rings through my radio. By the sound of it she was clearly pleased with herself.

"Don't expect a tip though." Andrew replies. "Now let's get a move on?"

The rest of us quickly climb aboard and array ourselves in the troop bay. There were seat available for the occupants to use, but looking at their awkward shapes it was probably meant for the Covenant troops rather than human spines.

We opt to stand except for my sister whose shifting uncomfortably in her pilot's chair. "Damn these things hurt." She grunts as Andrew moves behind her to help with the controls.

From the cameras I see a pair of Covenant fighters trailing after us. They seemed intent on following us but at least they weren't attacking. Yet.

His jaw tightens as a faint red lit repeatedly blinks followed by some unintelligible chatter on the mike. "Their commanders are asking for a report on disposing of the demons. I'm sending them a reply saying we have successfully defeated the enemy and have captured some supplies for transport."

"So we're relying on you speaking perfect alien to keep us alive. Just perfect." Sam mutters, trying to lighten the mood. It got a few chuckles from the marines. The mike suddenly goes silent as the ships continue to escort.

The Banshees continue to shadow and it seemed like Andrew's bluff had failed, but finally a low voice growls in acknowledgment and the fighters break off. I didn't realize I was holding my breath and suck in some air.

I feel a hand on my shoulder as Bianca offers me a reassuring smile. I nod gratefully and relax my shoulders. Nathan winks and smirks.

No one bothers us after as we fly up to the tower. Four Covenant Cruisers drifted down from the clouds. They were in a dense formation that kept them closely packed together and made it seem like they were just one giant structure. Their shadow blackens the sky above us.

The Spirit enters the towers main hanger which at one point must have been a commercial parking lot for the office buildings employees but was now a supply depot for Covenant troops.

Grunts and Brutes would be unloading supplies as Jackals would be patrolling as sentries around the perimeter. Several of them already begin to line up on either of the decks as Persephone disables the ship's gravity system in order to allow them to begin unloading the supplies.

Me, the marines and Spartans all line each opening, guns ready as the doors open up.

We all open fire.

Six grunts were blown off their feet while the rest scramble away, pushing past the Jackals who were just beginning to take aim. Me and a pair of the marines take aim at the Jackals, spraying them with explosive needles and armor piercing rounds.

We manage to drop a few before the rest were able to snap their gauntlets up and raise their shields. A Brute roars and charges me, it bellowed incoherently as he moves on all fours.

I switch to my grenade launcher and pump another round that blows a good chunk of its torso and its corpse continues to slide towards me. Before we could advance any further though, dozens of needle thin lances of energy pepper us.

Sam hisses as she looks at a plasma burn left in her arm. Her shields were down which left the beam rifle able to graze her the side of her arm. Then wound was instantly cauterized which meant that at least she wouldn't be bleeding out.

Any remaining Covenant think this as a retreat and press their attack. Jackals and Grunts pick up guns and rain down plasma on us while Brutes charge forward unarmed and bash against then ship with their powerful blows. Persephone uses then ships weapons to citm down any surviving aliens before powering down its engines.

"Is everyone else alright!" I asks, looking around at everyone. Nobody appeared to be seriously injured and got away pretty well. At the very least everyone was still on their feet.

"We're all fine sir." Bianca reports. "Just a couple scratches."

"Same for us." Sam says, wincing slightly as Nathan filled her up with biofoam. She pulls the armor on her forearms back on and stands up, holding her shotgun. I can fight. Honest."

I nod, satisfied at this assessment. "Alright then. Bianca, I hope you and your men mind staying here to guard the ship?"

She salutes and feigns hurt. "Oh that will be a struggle sir, but I think me and my men can manage to keep ourselves entertained until then."

"Do you got the nuke?" I ask Andrew. He nods and throws it to me, turning the safety of his flamethrower.

Her soldiers take position back inside the dropship and locks the doors. I nod to then others and we begin sprinting down to a hallway. A Brute response force was sent out to investigate what was wrong and ran right into us.

Andrew shoves us behind him, spike rounds easily bounce of the extra plates on his armor. He brings his arms up and ignites the flames from his gun that spews columns of flames at them. The Aliens bellow in shock and stumble away. We add our own weapons to the mix and put the rest of them down.

Normally infiltrating the heart of the Covenant base would have been suicide. But what gave us the edge was two advantages. One was that the Covenant was slow to adapt to a situation and hadn't really done much to prepare for us aside from an occasional extra patrol.

The second was that we were Spartans.

"Where are we supposed to plant this thing?" I question, hefting the bomb.

"There should be a backup generator downstairs in case the power goes out." Persephone suggests.

"That seems like a good place to start." Sam agrees. "Maybe we can find a service elevator to use or something?"

I nod. "Ya. There might be a map in the front desk." We move down then fall, taking out the handful of guards posted there and heads to a front desk that used to be used a receptionist. Behind all the files stapled to the whiteboard was a map of the building.

I place my hand on the you are here symbol and trace it down to an elevator that leads to the generator at the basement. Nathan sets his sniper down and pulls out some of his survey gear. He snaps some pictures of the map and gives us the thumbs up. "It says that there an elevator at the end of the hallway down the left that could take us down."

"Lets move." I vault over the desk.

At the end of the hallway were another group of Covenant soldiers. A trio of Jackals and an Elite. Sam sprints ahead, springboarding against the wall and chucks a grenade at a group.

A plume of smoke goes off as bits of blood and flesh spray against walls. The Elite warts several times and charges at us, firing his weapon repeatedly. Plasma splashes on my armor as some is places on my shoulder and bucks twice.

Two sniper rounds embed themselves in the Elites chest and drop him to the ground once again.

Just at that moment the elevator door dings and slides open to reveal a pair of Grunts carrying boxes of bolts. The squeak in surprise and drop the boxes.

One of the little gas sucking alien quickly tries to shut the door while the other pulls out his needle gun and fires at us. Persephone drops to her belly and squeezes a few bursts that take the diminutive aliens out.

Andrew stops the door just as it was about close and holds it open for us. "Going down." He hits the door and taps the basement level button. The doors shut behind us and crappy elevator music plays softly from the speaker.

I remove adjust the speakers of my helmet to take that damn music out as we descend to the basement. Finally the bell dings as we reach the generator room. We all quickly fan out and sweep the room with our weapons, looking for any guards stationed there.

Oddly enough it seemed like there were no guards present, or any clues of a shift change. "Is it clear on your sides?"

"Clear." Came everyone's reply. We regroup in the center of the room.

"Does it seem odd that there are no guards in the generator?" Andrew keeps his back pressed against the wall and darts his head around as he seems to be expecting some sort of surprise attack.

Sam for her part just patrols then length of the room and lifts her helmet to spit on the ground. "Maybe they're just so arrogant that they think we would never get close enough to reach the generator."

Nathan glares at her through his helmet. "Even the Covenant aren't so arrogant as to leave the most important of their facility unguarded. Something doesn't feel right."

"Or this could just be a golden opportunity and we're wasting our time debating on it." Sam argues. She turns to me expectantly. "What do you think boss?"

"I look at Persephone who shakes her head, Andrew who seems neutral and Sam who nods encouragingly.

Looking at both of them I quickly think of an idea. "I see what both of you are saying, but we need to finish the mission. If it is a trap, then we will be ready. I say we keep going."

The sniper seems suck his lips in disappointment, but Nathan isn't one to be a sore loser and takes up position behind us as Andrew kneels down and begins to arm the bomb on the generator.

The generator was a huge cylinder that reaches up to the roof made of beeping metal panels and buttons that ran along its diameter. At then upper part was a glass tube was tinted light blue and had electricity coursing through it.

We all take up position behind him.

A nagging feeling in my gut told me that something wasn't right. It wasn't like the Covenant to leave this place unguarded, especially after knowing there were Spartans present. Then I see something wrong.

There was a slight breeze that moves past me and I glance around. There was a slight shimmer of air moving past me and approaches Andrew. I frown slightly and lift my gun up at it, taking aim at the air.

Suddenly I felt my air knocked from me and I felt myself thrown across the room. I slam against a bulkhead and feel pain searing across my body. I feel my vision get blurry but I manage to see the shimmer change into the form of a hulking Elite. Then other Spartans quickly turn around and jump in surprise just as more Elites uncloak and attack.

One charges forward and crashes right into Nathan as he aims and guns down a would be assassin. He loses his balance and hits the ground as the Elite keeps going.

Then first warrior grabs Andrew by the back of his head just as he was about to turn around and slams his head against the generator. There was a loud snap as his body tumbles to the floor. For a horrible second it seemed like he was dead, but I notice his chest moving upwards as he inhales.

Sam looks around, pointing her shotgun around as she looks for her opponent. She fires madly into the air as she tries to find her opponent until another form slams his plasma rifle into her wounded arm and leaves her screaming in pain.

With only Persephone left, she quickly disappears and activates her camouflage. A Stealth Elite approaches the bomb and begins to pry it off the generator. His fingers barely wrap around it before his jaw goes slack and blood begins to drop from his mouth.

He looks down at his chest were a sharp piece of metal was sticking out of his lung. Persephone briefly reappears and yanks her knife out. She drops to one knee and fires her rifle in seemingly thin air, but sparks fly as an Elite appears, snarling in anger as his active camo disappears.

She drops him with an extra burst from her gun.

I pull myself from the ground and hisses in pain as I rub my head. It was still swimming and left me dazed. I pick up my rifle and take aim, switching to my grenade launcher. "No wait!" Nathan gasps, pulling himself to a sitting position. "One wrong shot and you'll end this fight for all of us."

Pulling my grenade launching back I switch it for then guns normal rounds and heads to their side. Before I reach them something slams into my side and sends me sprawling to the floor. Another Elite appears, his four mandibles split into a grin as he pulls out a piece of metal from his belt and holds it up. This one was wearing golden armor which was reserved only for the Covenants highest officers.

Suddenly a bright blade bursts out from it which he raises towards my chest. But before he could bring it down a flurry of gunfire forces him on the defensive. He raises his sword in front of his face protectively and gestures the remaining Elites forward.

I slam my fist to the ground and my bubble shield forms around me just as a barrage of plasma comes my way. The shield shudders and begins to change from blue to yellow. "Get behind me!"

The other two move inside my shield and look around, nothing the direction of the plasma fire.

Its coming from six directions. That means at least six shooters. "Alright everyone take your pick, I'll drop the shield and you guys shoot."

The two of them nod and take aim just as another blade from behind takes out one of the attackers. Sam screams as she shoves her opponent to the ground. Her her arm was twisted in an odd angle which clearly looks like she broke it. In her injured hand was her shotgun, smoke was still streaming out of its barrell.

Behind her Andrew had started to get to his feet, shaking off his dizziness and readying his flamethrower. "No. Arm then nuke!" I shout to them and deactivate my shield.

The three of us quickly open fire, using our armors personal shields to protect us as we gun down the enemy Elites. Andrew kneels down and begins to rearm the nuke. Sam stands behind him and pulls out her knives from her boots.

Klaxons starts to sound inside my armor as my shields deplete to critical levels. I fire at what appears to be thin as I sprint and throw myself behind cover. Cursing silently I place a fresh clip in and wait for my shields to recharge. Then few seconds of beeping that rignify the recharge were some of the longest of my life.

But now fully charge I leap out and fire at the distortion of light. The Elite materializes in front of me and growls. He taos his wirstpad and his body flickers several times beforenhe finally gives up and charges. Firing his needler, the alien throws his head back and snarls.

I courch down and fill his mouth with bullets which exit throughn he back of his head. The warrior looks at me harefully, spitting out bits of teeth. He takes a step forward before his legs shake and buckle and he drops to the ground dead. A few crystaline needles were stuck into my armor. A second later they shatter, draining my shields by about a fifth.

Both Persephone and Nathan dealt with their enemies. Now all that's left was then Zealot. I pivot my rifle and check its ammo counter. 30 rounds. That will do for now. I move around the generator room, advancing cautiously as I look for the enemy commander.

Movement above me causes me to drop to the ground and fire, targeting the largest mass of body I could see. His shields flare as thirty armor piercing rounds hit his energy shielding. Then Zealot leaps down from his hiding place with his energy sword raised.

I roll aside to avoid getting my head skewered and instead it strikes my shoulder plate, dropping my shields and searing then metal. I don't have time to reload my rifle and just pull out my M6 and fire at the Zealots head.

Bullets ping off his helmet but he ignores it and gives me a vicious backhand. Sharp pain sears through my cheek as some of my teeth were actually knocked loose. This was followed out by a vicious stomp on the stomach and left me wheezing for air.

My vision begins to go blurry and I feel unconsciousness beginning to creep at the side of my vision. I only barely manage to dodge his next two swings but not his foot planting on my neck and slowly ebbing away at my strength.

"Done!" Andrew shouts followed by the sound of shouting and gunfire.

The alien commander looks more annoyed than anything else. He spins around with his blade ready. Then his black eyes widen as he comes face to face with the business end of Andrews flamethrower.

With my last remaining strength I roll to the side away from its range as a cloumn of fire gouts out and engulfs the elite. At this range there was no hope for him. In his metal armor the elite was literally cooking alive. Desperation claws at then alien as he thrashes around, his heavy body slamming against the wall. He claws off his armor, revealing dark flesh that rapidly chips away and leaves on muscle and bone.

Nathan rushes past me and stands guard for anymore enemies while Persephone hoists me to my feet. "Are you ok?"

My vision was swimming and I felt a painful throb in my head, but I'd be damned if I couldn't recognize the voice of my own sister. I manage a weak nod as she pulls my into a tight hug. "Good, now lets get the fuck out of here."

Leaning on her for support, then five of us sprint back the way we came. A few Covenant were waiting for us there, but we quickly overpower the handful of Grunts and Jackals stationed to guard there and take the elevator back to the hanger.

Biana was already waiting for us and opens the door. One of the marines helps us onboard as she fires up the ship.

No POV

Tos 'Rofumee growls softly as he adjusts his survey gear and focuses his helmet mounted cameras to the hangar deck of the tower.

For weeks it had used as a resupply station for passing ships after it had been taken from the humans along with the rest of the city. But only now was he beginning to hear reports of human incursions within.

A Spirit dropship emerges from the hanger and flies up into the skies.

He trails the dropship leaving the hangar with his beam rifle. His equipment begins to gather information on it and transmit it to his HUD.

Including the pilot, there are nine heart rates inside. Four were rather unremarkable human ones. They moved a bit faster than normal, but it wasn't anything truly unusual. The remaining five were the ones which got his attention. They were strong, very strong, almost comparable to the ones of his own race.

Tos presses his mandibles together in anger. Demons. The infamous human warriors who were allegedly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of his brothers.

He peers into his scope, resisting the urge to fire upon the stolen dropship

But he knew that even his powerful sniper would do little against the ships thick hull aside from giving away his position and compromised his mission. He was here to observe the humans and learn, not to fight.

All he could do now is hope that the humans did not find whatever they were after.

Turning away from the humans he reaches for his portable computer. He powers the machine up and pulls a cord from the back of its hard drive. Tos plugs it into his helmet and begins to upload the feed to it.

"Do you see this commander?" He says quietly over his radio and watches the ship disappear among the clouds.

"Indeed warrior. How many were there?"

Tos mentally replays the events that just occurred before giving his answer. "Four normal human soldiers and five demons."

There was a throaty growl from the other end of the line. "I see. Return to the ship so we may report this to the Prophet."

The Special Operations Elite hesitates for a moment. Perhaps if he moved quickly he could intercept them and stop them. "What of the humans?"

"Leave them alone for now warrior." His officers commands insistently. Though it seemed to be fueled more by concern rather than a low opinion of his warrior. "You are not in a position to fight them. Now return to the ship. I have task which I need your assistance in."

"As you command commander." Tos replies, trying and failing to hide his disappointment. But he was not about to disobey his superior if he had another mission, and especially not when what he said was true. He admits to himself grudgingly.

He taps his gauntlet and activates his active camouflage before silently climbing aboard his banshee and becoming nothing more than air in the sky.


	13. Chapter 13

Persephone's POV

"About a division's strength of Covenant troops, over a dozen resupply ships and fours capital ships, and an estimated three months worth of weapons, ammunition and food." General Athena reads over the file she had presented to us.

"And that's not even counting then Type-25 Spirit you Spartans were able capture or the squad of marines you rescued." Annabeth chips in from the corner.

Unlike before her usual business demeanor was replaced with a sly smile that was carefully suppressed as she finishes her report. She slams the folder shut and snaps her fingers right in front of us. "And just like that gone in an instant thanks to you Spartans."

The five of is snap in a salute which she seems more than happy to return. Her enthusiastic mood was infectious as I found myself struggling not to grin from ear to ear. today, My and Percy's first mission against the Covenant. A huge success. Even the other naval officers were in a good mood. They moved with more vigor and determination than just a few hours ago. Maybe the navy needed a victory like this.

Suddenly she places then solved on a panel that sucks it back to whatever mavy clerk gave it. Her business like attitude returns and she waves for us to stand down. "But that was only half the job Spartans. The remainder of the Covenant fleet is still out there and we're still alone. I was able to make contact with FLEETCOM and request for reinforcements, but that will take weeks to arrive assuming that they even send one."

All five of us nod solemnly, already knowing what that meant before she even announced it. We would have to work around the clock, pulling triple shifts to fight the Covenant. Even with General Athena's attempts to scrape up the remaining ships in system, we still lack a respectable fleet. All she could count on aside from the UNSC Paris was a single Stalwart-Class Frigate, another Paris-Class Heavy Frigate and a pair of Corvettes.

Still we got to a decent start and fleet battles was something out of a Spartans pay grade. The only thing to do now was to hope that our luck holds up.

"But for now go get some rest, I think you Spartans have earned it." Athena nudges her head to the door.

Nathan, Andrew and Sam all quickly file out. "You guys coming?" Sam calls after us and lingers by the door.

"We'll catch up."

She shrugs. "Suit yourself." With that the doors slide shut.

An alarm begins to sound on someone's monitor as the screen starts to flash red with letters that were too far away for me to read. One look from Athena has Annabeth marching over there to see what's going on.

"Mot-General we have a problem." Annabeth looks at the General. Her brows are creased with worry as she points at the screen. She nudges her shoulder slightly against the tech who was seated in front of the screen.

The man gasps, but quickly clears his throat and nods. "Yes. I'm detecting a massive signature of plasma energy on the scanners. Based on the size and mass I theorize it's a Covenant Heavy Destroyer."

He keys several buttons on his computer and a display of the ship appears on screen beside a 3D image of the planet with five blue dots on one side and Single red dot on the other. But this one was bigger almost five times as big as even the largest blue blips. It was still quite a distance away and wasn't accelerating, but it did move closer ever so slowly.

The bridge goes silent and all eyes focus on Athena, waiting for her instructions. She doesn't even blink when she gives her orders. "Send fighters out to conduct recon. We don't know if they even know we're here. It could just be a ship investigating."

Looking a bit relieved, the officers turn back to their work. From the bridge I can see a dozen sleek black jets fly out of the Paris's hanger and towards the Destroyer. The tiny two man Longswords could easily outpace a heavy frigate like the Paris. But against a fully armed Covenant destroyer in a fight, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Hell it would take three Heavy Frigates to be able to take to on a ship like that. Percy bites his lip and keeps looking at the screen.

"Move the rest of the fleet to the debris field and tell the captains to remain hidden there." Athena continues, pacing the deck behind then empty captains chair.

I nod again, feeling my respect for the young, grey eyed General growing even further. One of the lessons Mendez had drilled in my head was always plan for everything to go wrong cause during missions everything can go wrong. For most higher ups it was hard for them to see their errors even after they made it. But her she was planning for failure from the start.

"What about the Paris ma'am?"

"Keep it where it is."

The officer blinks. "Ma'am?"

Athena doesn't break stare. "If things go wrong I want us to be ready to face that ship."

"Plus those pilots will need help." Annabeth adds quietly.

She looks back at the window then to the weapons officer. "Lieutenant I want you to load a heavy on the MAC gun and arm Archer missile tubes A1 to A7."

The weapons officer, pale face nods and turns back to his computer. It was pretty clear that the mood on the bridge had dampened. Officers look at each other and begin muttering among themselves.

"Jesus a Heavy Destroyer."

"How the hell are we supposed to take that?"

"Gods above someone help us?"

Athena's lips peel upwards slightly at that last comment. She casually approaches the command chair and sets herself down. I see the remaining ships break away from their formation and turn 180 degrees towards the planet. On the space surrounding it was a massive graveyard of men and ships. The planet's gravitational field pulled these husks towards it and will likely keep it in orbit until someone bothers to tow it out of the way. That would likely be years from now.

Blackened hulls of titanium A armor still have a faint red glow of radiation from Covenant plasma weapons. Broken husks that might have once been escape pods were shattered open and the people were spilled out, left suspended in space like corpses in water. Pieces of the ship still bore their names scrawled in bright white paint. The Prancing Knight, The Leuctra, The Trasemine.

There were also remains of Covenant ships that were successfully destroyed during the battle. Of the over forty ships that now rested in space, only a little over one third were Covenant.

But what was the fleets destruction is now their saving grace. Small ships like the Frigates and Corvettes that made up our fleet were able to squeeze in between debris and hide there. But larger Covenant ships wouldn't be able to get through easily, at least not without suffering some damage. That would at least neutralize their advantage in shields.

"Ma'am." The radio would sound as Athena thumb the speaker button again and move herself towards the mike.

"I'm here soldier. Speak."

"We're approaching the Destroyer now." The pilot's voice was choppy, like someone was crumpling paper in background, but I could still make out the words he said. "It doesn't look like it spotted us, or even knows we're here."

Athena nods, a small sigh of relief coming from her lips. "Good. Lets keep it that way Lieutenant. Have your men find out what you can and return here."

"Understood ma'am, we're on our way-" There was an electric fizzzz followed by an explosion and then a string of curses. Before any of us could so much as blink another explosion happens.

The General was dumbfounded for a split second, but she grabs onto the mike and pulls it to her lips. "What the hell's going on out there?"

"Seraph patrol!" Came then pilot's voice again, though this time there was another voice behind him. Its was filled with panic and was shrill with screaming. The copilot most likely. "I lost my wing men."

It was then that the mike died. The rest of the crew watches on, unable to speak and too shocked to move. "What are you waiting for!" The General barks, getting them out of their stupor. "Get back to work and someone activate one of the mounted cameras on those fighters."

On the overhead display there was now a first person view of the battle. Covenant Seraphs, tear drop shaped fighters zoom above and around the patrol while Longsword try to chase after them. The COMs were filled with the rat-rat-rat of machine gun fire or the hum of superheated plasma. Single man ships engaged each other in vicious dogfights resembling more like insects battling each other.

The camera rotates to one side and shows another pair of Longswords flying at top speed. "No you idiots break away from contact!" A voice comes from the radio.

The camera shifts forward and now we all see it. Instead of retreating, these three fighters were directly at the Destroyer. "What are they doing?" Athena breathes out in disbelief.

"They're trying an attack run." Annabeth mutters.

"It won't do shit without our help." Percy adds.

I grip the back of the command chair, my hand shaking violently as I nearly snap a piece off it.

The center ship doesn't even get close and was destroyed halfway by a well placed plasma round. Meanwhile the remaining two veer off in opposite directions, spinning around and crisscrossing each other as they dodge the Covenant equivalent of 40mm autocannons.

As one they unleash a barrage of missiles onto the destroyer as soon as they got within a hundred meters. But even these ballistic weapons barely scratch the ship's shields. Not even a scrap metal that remained touched the Destroyers hull.

One shot however gets through. Just as part of the shield was lowered to fire its plasma turrets again, a missile passes through the gap and slams into the weapon. The turret was consumed in a fiery blossom while its outer parts drifted out to space.

Both Longsword attempt a retreat but another salvo of plasma fire takes out the second, though the third was out of range at that point.

We weren't able to see what happened next as Athena suddenly cuts the feed. I knew it was bad for morale to keep it playing and seeing their soldiers getting slaughtered. "Prepare the ship for those fighters! Open the hanger and ready all weapons." She shouts, pacing through the bridge to make sure everyone listens. She glances back at me. "And please stop breaking my chair."

I see my hand was practically crushing then small part I was holding and cracks were beginning to form. Quickly I retract my hand.

The ship was still in a stationary position, but now its engines burn to life as it starts to move forward. The sudden change in speed throw most people who were standing of balance. I slip forward but quickly take a calculated step to regain my balance.

Annabeth gasps. "With all due respect ma'am, we're too outclassed to take on a ship of that tonnage."

"Just do your job soldier!" Athena's words crackled like lightning and Annabeth visibly flinched. Shrinking back she takes a step back to the shadows.

Looking at then brief exchange I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Annabeth. Looking at the fear in her gray eyes, the dread of being punished and for disappointing your superior. It was like looking in a mirror. That was a look that I saw in myself back in training.

I glance towards my brother whose gaze was following the dots on the map and feel a twinge of jealousy. Percy was the perfect little soldier they wanted. He was the one who always followed orders. He was the one who always lead others while I was just stuck in the back, questioning orders, looking for other ways to solve the mission.

Instinctively I reach forward and pat her shoulder. When Annabeth looks at me her face were still scared, but I can sense the gratitude.

"We're in firing range General."

Athena's face hardens and her voice was cold and calculating like a snake ready to strike at its victim. "Then fire."

A soft whump goes from the bow of then Paris to its stern as its main weapons: the MAC gun fires its slug. Then MAC round cuts through space like a meteor, hurtling towards the Covenant ship. I follow it with my eyes and watch as it collides straight at the Destroyers nose. But instead of doing damage it simply collides with the ship's shields and dissipates into nothing. The only upside was the shields looked considerably weakened by that attack.

The Destroyer turns to face the Paris. A chill goes throughout my spine as I get a good view of the ship up close. From the distance it almost looked like a toy, but now there was nothing harmless about it.

It was at least three times as large and with metallic fins, angular and sleek shape it resembled more like a shark than a spacecraft.

At its side, five Longswords whizz by and try to dodge its AA weapons. The squadron looked abysmal. Of the five fighters left all were peppered with plasma scorches and smoking. At least one was towing another fighter by a maintenance cable. They zig and zag towards us and half crash into the hanger.

Two red lights begin to emit from the enemy ships ventral sections. A pair of plasma torpedoes were suddenly fired and burn through space like a pair of bloody gashes. Claxons blare and crewmen rush around. "General, seventeen seconds until impact!"

Athena nods calmly, her hands pressing together as she considers her options. "Have the reactors increase their output by forty percent. Activate the engines on my mark."

Her order was carried there and everyone was left fixed on the beautifully arrows that sped towards them. Some with begin to mutter silent prayers, either for salvation or a quick end at least while others would just stare at it, knees trembling and sweat drenching their clothes.

I feel my legs begin to tremble. Please if I have to die not now and not like this.

"Twelve seconds." The tech announces aloud, practically begging Athena to do something.

"Not yet."

"Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven…."

"Now!"

Eyes wide with relief, the Operations officer types then command. This time everyone manages to find a handhold as the Frigate jets to the side. The Plasma torpedoes lance past us, though one grazes the side. Then armor starts to steam and boil away, melting several millimeters of Titanium-A armor.

"Redirect the ship towards the Destroyer and get me a firing solution. A MAC round followed by a barrage of the autocannons."

The Weapons Officer begins to put in the calculations but turns around towards her. "What about the Archers General?"

"Keep them armed but do not fire then until my command."

The Paris changes direction and turns until its MAC is pointed directly at the Covenant ship and flies toward it. I watch as the dozen or so 90mm ship mounted turrets swivel towards the enemy ship, the twin barrels rising. "Plasma levels are rising on that Destroyer. It's about to charge its plasma turrets."

"Lieutenant do I have that firing solution?"

"Aye ma'am."

"Then fire again." Athena's voice drips with icey cold anger. Suddenly I was glad that I wasn't on the receiving end of it. The heavy slug slams once again at the nose of the Covenant ship. And again its shields protect it from any real damage. But instead of a large bubble, all that remained was a thin glass like barrier that looked ready to crack.

Immediately afterwards all turrets spring to life, firing bullets hundreds at a time. These further chip away what little remained of its shield. A few lucky shots strike one of the Destroyers ventral turrets.

"Reload quickly!" Athena calls out.

"It's too late!" A tech points at then magnified view of the enemy vessel. Plasma that was being built up was now ready and fire. But instead of launching torpedoes, the turret that was hit bursts into flames and sends a series of explosions throughout its underside at the cables it was connected to.

This causes the ship to shudder and lurch to one side which threw off its aim and let then second torpedo pass right through. A clean miss.

Everyone cheers and looks forward to the camera. Now the two ships were about a kilometer away from each other. At this range I can make out the cables and lights snaking across the ship over its armor.

The enemy commander seems to realize this as well as he fires a volley of his lighter laser turrets at the Paris.

Several screens go dark and the radio is filled with a loud static hiss that then communications officer tears off his headset and covers his ears. "Pulse lasers. They hit our communications dish and our armor is now down to five centimeters in several areas in the port side."

"Fire Archer missiles."

Nearly two hundred ballistic missiles were launched from the port side. From the bridge I can hear their rocket engines going off in unison as they fly to their target.

At this range it would have been impossible to dodge the missiles, but not to shoot them. Pulse lasers intercept the missiles in midair, blowing up dozens before they reach their target but majority still manage to make it.

Explosions rips through the enemy ship's hull, flames bursting at its ventral sections.

Even with all that it's still standing and ready to fight. And unlike the Destroyer, it would only take one plasma torpedo to gut the ship stern to stern whereas it would take hundreds more Archers to completely destroy that ship. "General? What do you want us to do now?" A tech nervously asks as he sees the ship regaining its bearing and preparing for another go.

"Arm all remaining Archers on the port side."

Without thinking I grab then General and spin her around. She turns and faces me, her face filled with utter shock. It wasn't surprising, what I did could be considered insubordinate at best.

But at this point I couldn't remain silent any longer. This wasn't being bold or anything. This was suicide, plain and simple. What was worse was she was throwing away the lives of others rather than herself.

"Get back to your station soldier." Athena's voice drops to a clear warning tone.

"Listen to me General." This kind of behavior was unacceptable among normal recruits and absolutely unheard of among Spartans. "We cannot match a ship of that size and firepower. We need to break off now. It's damaged enough that we could slip by and escape."

Athen pull my hand off her. "You want me to flee while the enemy has been crippled?"

"Crippled or not we can't defeat it. Not in this kind of fight." I glare up at her and meet her gaze. Those grey eyes were swimming with anger, revealing a portal to an ocean of fury.

Percy pulls me back and hisses in my ear. "What are you doing?"

I push him away. "And what would you have us do about the Destroyer now? After everyone worked so hard to destroy it. After people gave their lives to fight it."

The fight you forced them into. I wanted to add but then severe look Percy gave me was enough to get me to keep my mouth shut. But that didn't mean I was going to back down. Not by a long shot.

"I'm not suggesting doing any of that. I'm saying that there's no point sacrificing everyone's live for a fight we can't win." Her nostrils flare and I swore I heard the sound of her cracking her knuckles. Her body stiffens as she clenches her hand into a fist.

Right then and there I was expecting her to hit me. But before the blow could be struck, Percy steps in between us, he looks over his shoulder towards me. This time his look wasn't angry or even upset. Now it looked like he was just pleading me to back away while I still had the chance.

"With respect General. There is another way." He replies diplomatically,

Athen still stood rigid, looking at me and just waiting for a chance to throw that punch at me. She turns to the other Spartan in slight curiosity. "Explain."

That was all Percy needed. He quickly pushes me back some more and shields me with his own body. "We have other ships. There are two more frigates with the weapons needed to stop the Destroyer. Its no longer strong enough to pose a serious threat."

Athena actually seems to consider this and adjusts her glasses, scratching her chin. Percy takes this chance to gesture me back, away from the General. I suck in a deep breath as he looks at her, his focused on one thing for a change rather than always darting around. After what felt like hours then General finally nods. "Very well. Someone place a tracker on that ship and have it marked for destruction. Then pull us out of here."

The ship begins to break away from the Destroyer, drifting to the side and moves away, careful not to align itself with the sights of its plasma turrets. It wouldn't have mattered since they would just track the Paris and reduce it to energized atoms, but there was no point in inviting the temptation.

The Paris spins 180 degrees around to the direction of the debris field. Its thrusters let out another burst of energy as the ship moves the hell away from this fight.

It took several moments for the enemy ship to realize what was happening and by the we were already halfway across the distance. It trails after the ship. On its sides green liquid was leaking out and left suspended in space and a dark plume of smoke was visible behind it.

A MAC guns fire on either side of the field and impacted on its sides. This time there was no shields that saved it as explosions ripped through its hull, shattering its armor and tearing the ship apart.

There was a collective sigh of relief throughout the bridge. Even Athena slumps back to her chair, wiling sweat from her brow. "Well Spartan, it looks like you're plan worked. Everyone lets initiate system shakedowns and get back to hiding."

I watch the yellowish porridge fall from as the dispenser and onto my tray. I collect some fruit and a bottle of water before breaking away from the lunch line.

The lunch lady holding an extra water bottle gives me a nervous smile before disappearing into the cooking area. I take a seat with Bianca, her brother Nico and a few other marines.

None of them say anything as I sit down and just nod in greeting. Bianca was the only one who smiles and scoots over to let me sit. A few days ago we barely knew each other, now we were practically sisters.

The lunchroom was quiet, nobody laughed, shouted and when people talked it was always in hushed tones.

The tension in the whole ship was so thick I could cut a knife through it. I couldn't really blame them. Within the hour after destroying the Heavy Destroyer, two battlecruisers arrived and started hunting the area for us.

Since then we've been playing the deadliest game of hide and seek in a graveyard of ships. Even with our enhanced stealth capabilities Athena had still opted to keep the ship running on minimal power which only made the crew even more paranoid.

Even the slightest bump was enough to send even the most battle hardened soldiers jumping out of his skin. "So what's new guys?" I ask, setting myself down in between Bianca and another marine.

Bianca shrugs, taking a bite from her apple. "Same old same old. Hiding from aliens and stuck on a ship eating this shit."

I dig my spoon into my porridge. "Ya its pretty boring. But I'd rather it be boring than nearly die up here in space."

She nods silently in agreement. "Shame those aliens don't have the stomach to fight us face to face most of the time."

"I don't know." Nico replies, his voice filled with uncertainty. "I don't think I want to see what their lasers can do. I don't want to be near them."

Me and Bianca nod, sobering up, a dampening mood washes over us. I look at Nico sympathetically. He was just a kid for god's sake. His only worry should be studying in class and not spending all his allowance on candy, not worrying about getting killed in war and fighting aliens.

Bianca places her hand around her brother's shoulders and wraps him in a hug. Slowly she strokes his hair. "Why don't you just play with your Mythomagic cards."

He nods quietly, but seems happy to have something to take his mind off things. Nico digs into his bag and first starts to pull out some figurines. They were made of a shiny steel and I noticed that they were all things from Greek or Roman mythology. Ranging from gods in tunics armed with celestial weapons to monster scrunched in a position, ready to attack.

Next he pulls out a deck of cards and begins to arrange them with the corresponding god. Nico whistles a happy tune and starts to arrange them. A couple of the older marines decides to humor him and talk to him about his game.

"So what do you think we should do? About all this I mean." I gesture around her, to the poorly lit dining area, and the shuddering ship as it collides with something.

Bianca swallows hard that she winces. Whatever she was about to say pained her to say it. "I think we should jump system now."

I nod in agreement, taking a bite out of my apple. It didn't taste nearly as sweet as I thought. I take another bite and wrinkle my nose. "At least until the battlegroup arrives. Until then we're just asking for trouble."

Nico suddenly looks up from his cards, right as he was in the middle of explaining the rules of the game to the others. He stares at us incredulously. "How could say that Bianca? This is our home. We need to be fighting for it."

Bianca places her hands around her brother's shoulders, but he quickly pulls them away. "Listen Nico. I wanna fight for it too, but we don't have the strength to face them."

"Really? Cause it seems like you're just trying to run away!" He shouts accusingly.

"Kid." A marine says, his voice firm, but soft and reassuring. "Dying for a cause ain't a bad thing, but dying for nothing is a crime."

"It's not for nothing!" He shouts, several heads turn to him in surprise. "Its for saving our world!"

I bite my lip and squeeze his shoulder. "You may not want to hear this, but you're planet may already be beyond saving."

His head cranes towards me, tears streaking in his eyes as eyes burn with anger. "Shut up! You weren't there to see what they did so you don't get to say what we do."

I blink several times, feeling my own anger bubble up. I stand up to full height and Nico backs away, suddenly remembering how tall I was compared to him. "You're right." I grow harshly, but concede to that point. "I didn't see your planet burn. But I saw my own. When I was six I saw the aliens invade my world, killing everything in their path. Anyone who tried to stop them were killed."

Doubt flickers across Nico's face. He whimpers and inches away but I wasn't done. "There wasn't anything we could do to stop them. Only try and survive by escaping. So if you wanna fight. Then you will die."

When I look down again I see Nico staring at me, his face contorted into a terrified sob. Bianca pulls me back and glares at me as if to say. Let me handle this.

She grabs his body firmly by the shoulders. With trembling hands she shakes his small frame slightly. Underneath all his body armor he looked so small. He was gangly and scrawny, his ribs were almost poking out of his skin.

"Nico, how many soldiers were drafted like us?" Her voice rising and becoming near hysteric.

"H-hundreds." He replies, unsettled at his sister and tries pulling away, but doesn't have the strength to break from her iron grip.

"Thats right, hundreds. And only four of us made it out. Four!"

Nico doesn't reply. He opens his mouth to speak, but instead his lips quiver and he takes off past all the staring eyes away from the mess hall.

No POV

Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out.

Zur 'Nufamee mentally repeats those words in his mind as he inhales a deep breath through his nostrils. He waits for two heartbeats before he exhales through his nose.

He repeats the process and moves his legs slightly on the leather cushion he sat on to a more comfortable position. Aside from his breathing, the warrior looked near motionless.

Quieting his thoughts, he empties his mind of his worries, his anger and his ambitions and focuses only on his breathing. Zur 'Nufamee was completely in the moment.

A knock on the door would cause him to open one eye in annoyance. He grunts to himself and tries to return to the peace of mind he had moments ago but the knocking would persist.

Muttering a multitude of curses then Sangheili would climb to his feet and brush dust off his robes. "In a moment!" He bellows to whomever was behind the disturbance.

He straightens his clothes and reaches for the water basin next to his cushion. He cups his long fingers and dags a bit of water on his face. With a great sigh he presses the button that opens the door. Moving to thenq doorframe he leers at the diminutive Unggoy standing outside, cowering fearfully behind his tablet.

He wore a crimson harness that marked him as a Major. Zur recognized him as one of the more energetic Unggoy on the ship. Zlif, that was his name.

It took another harsh bark to get him to speak. "T-the, the deck officer reports that you're operative has returned from his mission excellency."

The Sangheili nods, clicking his mandibles together in surprise. After Tos had gone offline there was reportedly a massive explosion within the city. One that was seen from the ship he stood on, The Glorious Fire and one that was believed to have wiped out thousands of warriors as well as support crew.h

Still if there was one Sangheili who could survive such an explosion it would be Tos. He was was of far sterner steel than most. It brings a smile on his face as he notices the Major still gaping at him, waiting nervously for his officers command. "Inform him that I will be down in a few moments."

Zlif nods gratefully and scurries away.

Zur shuts the door and approaches a dashboard filled with buttons and switches along with a keyboard next to his bed. He types in several numbers before pushing his palm against the big blue button at the side of the keyboard.

A panel slides forward and then to the side, revealing a cylinder eight feet tall and three feet wide made up of tinted blue glass. Suspended within was a burnished black Sangheili Special Operations harness.

It was polished to the point that it shone which was ironic given its stealth purposes. Despite its cleanliness, it was covered with dents and scratches that told its on stories of the battles its owner saw.

It looked like a standard set worn by every Spec Ops warrior save for the black cloak that hung from the shoulders and wove down to the boots.

Pulling the glass door open, Zur wiggles out of his robes and dons his armor, gingerly putting it on piece by piece.

The Special Operations Officer nods to himself as he looks at the mirror before leaving to the hanger. Other Covenant warriors gave him wide berth as he strode purposefully down the halls and ramps leading to the hanger.

He immediately spotted a maintenance crew of Huragok surrounding a Banshee. The floating creatures carried equipment for putting out fires as they began to make repairs on the fighter, removing its damaged wings and lifting its pilot hatch open.

A Sangheili warrior climbs out from the ruined ship and coughs several times as smoke billows out from the controls. One Huragok responds by putting out the flames.

"Greetings Tos!" Zur calls out as he makes his way towards his friend.

The younger warrior turns and salutes. "Greetings Commander."

He glances over his shoulder to regard the remains of the Banshee then to his warrior. "I take it you had a safe trip?"

Tos feigns insult. "It takes more than the human's primitive explosions to kill me commander."

"Their 'primitive' weapons just wiped out an entire city." The older warrior reminds him, turning around and heading up a different hallway. "Now come with me. I will explain your task on the way."

Nodding, Tos follows after his superior, keeping step behind him. "Where are we going?"

"To then Minister of Elegance's quarters. I have set up a meeting with him and you are to help provide witness testimony."

"That is the important task you had me leave the field for!" Tos cries, letting his voice rise a little in indignation.

Zur nods, not particularly upset at the younglings insolence. This was the expected reaction. No Sangheili enjoyed being pulled out of then front, and especially not for something as benign as this. But unfortunately this was a necessity.

"May I at least inquire what this meeting is about?"

"You may." Zur turns a corner and smiles to himself. "It is about me getting approval of the Minister in order to organize a team to hunt down the demons."

Tos stops in his tracks and stares at his commander in shock. "You wish to do what?"

"Do you not approve?" He smirks and looks over his shoulder, taking in the look his young companion is giving him. "I thought that since you saw them in battle you would best be able to give ample information regarding these warriors."

The young warrior finally regains his composure after shaking his head. "A sound plan commander. I would be honored to help in any way I can."

By that point Zur had already begun walking. "Then I suggest you hurry up, we do not wish to be late."


	14. Chapter 14

**No POV**

"Identification please." One of the two Honor Guards who stood watch outside the Prophets room steps forward and holds out an arm expectantly.

The other remained where he was standing, but kept a firm grip on his energy pike as he eyed the two Spec Ops Sangheili.

Zur nods and pulls out a small disk which he hands into the Honor Guards outstretched hand. He turns around to place the disk into a terminal beside the door while his partner keeps close watch of then two, just in case they attempt to stab him in the back. The screen rapidly runs down Zur's vital information which it verifies and the light above the screen turns green as it verifies and accepts all his information.

The door slides open and then guard removes the disk from its slot and returns it to its owner and does the same with Tos 'Rofumee. "Very well. You may enter." The guard rumbles and steps aside.

Zur enters the chamber, pushing the light red see-through curtains that were hanging from the ceiling. Most Prophets preferred using the style of natural beauty by surrounding themselves with plants, organic furniture and even small environments. Even though all of such environments would undoubtedly be artificial, they at least enjoyed the illusion.

But with the Minister of Elegance, that was not the case.

He intended to enjoy his wealth granted to him by his rank to the fullest. He allowed only the most lavish of things into his rooms, from wines, furniture, food and clothes. The Minster was seated on a cushion made from imported Thremaleon leather and dressed in dark blue robes made from Doamir and Filigree.

On either side of him were two female San'Shyumm dressed in skimpy robes giggled as they served him imported wine. Tos averts his eyes while Zur silently shakes his head in disapproval of such excess.

He actually respected the San'Shyumm's desire to live alongside nature, and never approved of such luxuries on a warship now less, not even for a Prophet. He pushed his discomfort aside and salutes. "Minister."

The Prophet looks over his shoulder and holds up a glass of wine. He smiles, a slurred and drunk smile. "Greetings Commander. Would you care to join me?"

He respectfully declines remains standing behind him. "There is important business I must discuss with you alone." He emphasizes the last word with a glare at the females who were still standing there and watching the exchange.

Elegance sighs audibly and gestures the females away with the flick of his hands. The two disappear into an adjoining room. "Very well. What do you have to discuss?"

Zur gestures to Tos who steps forward and places a hand on his chest. "This is Tos 'Rofumee, one of my best officers and spy." He explains until the Prophet stops him.

"Yes, yes." He says impatiently. "I've read your recommendation to have him transferred to your unit. Now what does this have to do with what you have to say."

"Have you read my most recent report?" Zur quiestions.

The Prophet doesn't reply at once. With a great sigh he draws himself from his cushion and begins to make his way towards his desk. The Ministers legs tremble with every small step he takes, evidently he does not have his gravity belt with him.

He digs through several files on his desk until he pulls out a datapad and begins to read. His eyes move back and forth as he scrolls through it. The wattles dangling on his chin bounce around as his lips parth. "How many ships?"

"Four battleships and several more supply ships." Tos replies grimly. His mandibles press together in anger. "Along with several thousand warriors on the surface."

"And have you been able to verify who these humans were? Can we be sure that they are the Demons?" Then Prophet sets the tablet down and rests himself on his chair, pouring himself another bottle of wine.

"For that I think Tos can handle then report." He backs away to let the younger Sangheili forward.

He attaches the recordings from his helmet to a projector. An image of five Spartans sprinting through a skyscraper that had once been an officer, but was now used by the Covenant as their main supply base. "Several days ago these Demons infiltrated our base on the planet known as New Nicea. They had planted a bomb that destroyed the entire city, and to our knowledge, all the demons were able to escape."

When he finished his report, Zur spoke up once again. "This is why I've proposed to assemble a team to hunt down the Demons and stop them from causing any more damage to our operations here."

"And I presume that it will be you who will be the one leading this team?" The Prophet guesses, smiling a bit.

Zur pauses. "If that is what the Prophet wills."

"Well Commander, I do not believe that hunting them will necessary." Then minister says at last.

Both Sangheili stare at the Prophet, mandibles slack in shock. Tos was the one who recovered first. "Prophet, how could you possibly say that?" He gestures towards the image again, which now changed to the massive crater that remained out of the city. Part of the remains were tinted green from radiation. "This is only proof of the destruction they can cause."

"I agree." Elegance says readily. "But I have already handled the situation."

Zur looks at the San'shyuum questioningly. "What do you mean? How was the situation handled?"

"Those Demons escaped to a ship did they not?"

The two Sangheili nod. "Then those ships are being hunted down. I sent two Battlecruisers to finish them off. More than enough to deal with a few human survivors."

"But would it not be best to have a squad prepared if these humans manage to survive."

"They will not survive Commander." A little bit of impatience begins to creep into Elegance's tone.

"Do not underestimate the humans Prophet." Zur reminds him quietly.

The Prophets nostrils flare. "This is the end of this discussion Commander."

* * *

 **Percy's POV**

 _Bang. Bang. Bang._ Three shots, three hits. I squint my eyes and look at then targets. Although they all hit their target, none of them were complete bullseyes and were just in the inner ring.

Still, it was over twenty meters away and I was definitely not a sharpshooter like Nathan. I set my M6 down and slide the now empty clip out. I pick up a fresh one and jam it in.

Activating the 2X scope, I peer through it take aim. I exhale and squeeze the trigger. My magnum bucks several times as half a dozen rounds are discharged.

One was a clean miss while the other five hit, including one bullseye. I do a mental cheer and fist pump.

"Heh nice job Spartan." A voice says from the other side of the shooting range. Annabeth appeared and grins at him. She was dressed in her black ONI uniform. She removes her gun from her holster and takes aim, firing a single round at a bullseye.

"Lieutenant." I give her a quick nod.

"Please, call me Annabeth." She says, placing a finger on her chin. "Percy right?"

"Ya. Thats me." I look at my tacpad as the computer begins to automatically calculate my scores, factoring in my fring speed, accuracy and number of shots. My score wasn't great, but it was passable. "So what brings you here?"

Annabeth quirks her eyebrow as she fires several shots into the target. "Oh right." I flush in embarrassment and Annabeth chuckles. A shudder goes throughout the entire ship and causes them to stumble around.

"What was that?" I demand, planting my feet firmly on the ground.

"What do you think." Annabeth leans in and leans to the side. "It's the General."

I glance at her in surprise. "The General? What does she have to do with this?"

Annabeth quickly looks away sullenly. She straightens herself once the vibrations have died down. "She caused this by staying here. The General is fighting a losing battle by trying to stay here, yes she saved us but we're trapped like cattle."

"You don't agree with her strategy?" I question, moving in closer to look her in the eye.

She doesn't back away and meets my stare, even stepping closer. "No, I do not. But I suppose you wouldn't understand." Her gray eyes lit up like a thunderstorm

"I do." I reply much more quietly. "That last battle proved that she's far too reckless."

Annabeth look up at me, but more of curiosity rather than anger. "She can plan for defeat, but never admit defeat. She's risks the lives of her soldiers without a moment's hesitation to take on a superior foe."

"I didn't see you saying any of you that when she wanted to take on a battlecruiser."

I feel my jaw clench up tightly. "Well ya thats true. But what would you have expected me to do? Just yell at her in the middle of a battle?"

"That's what you're sister did." Annabeth counters.

"And where did that go?" I remind her, raising my voice a bit. I was careful not to become too aggressive, Annabeth may have been the same age as me, but I she still outranked me considerably. "Look what happened to her. She was nearly court martialed and sent off the bridge and did it change a damn thing? No. She only listened when I gave her another idea."

The young ONI agent bites her lip, she didn't have a good response to that and simply nods in begrudging agreement. "I suppose you're right there. She's as stubborn as a mule."

Despite his effort, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Yes, yes I suppose she is."

Annabeth cracks a smile and joins in. "Just don't tell her that I said that."

I nod as the Intercom sounds above our heads on the speaker there. "Will Lieutenant Annabeth Chase please report to the bridge."

"Well." Annabeth sighs and places her pistol back into her belt. "It looks like I need to go now."

"I can walk you to the bridge." I offer open the door for her.

She smiles gratefully and nods. "Thank you. I'd like that."

The two of us make our way to the bridge where Athena was hunched over her command chair. She kept her hands intertwined with each other as she mumbled to herself.

"General." I salute and Annabeth steps forward.

The looks up and regards both of us with cold calculation. Her grey eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. "Why is he here?"

"He is with me."

She considers that for a long moment, before finally shrugging. She nods and points towards the viewscreen. "Good. What do you see on the monitor."

I look up and instantly I knew what she was talking about. All my anger and frustration about everything that's happened so far now melted into my feet and was replaced by fear.

They still were hidden in the debris field left over from the last naval battle that took place here. The _Paris_ was able to hide for several days under the cover of hollow armor plates that were once used to protect living humans and now did so once again.

But now there was nothing large enough to hide them from the two battlecruiser looking to bear down on us. A few bits of armor and destroyed hulls blocked our path, and thankful theirs, but that wouldn't be nearly enough to stop a dozen speeding plasma torpedoes.

"I've spent hours racking my brains for a way to get out of this mess to no avail." Athena admits, looking at Annabeth who seems to also be doing the same thing. But eventually she gives up and shakes her head mumbling the words no over and over again. "So you have the same idea as I have?"

Annabeth nods miserably as the General places a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. It was the kindest gestures I've ever seen her give. "There no other way."

"Excuse me." Percy interjects. "But I don't follow with what you are saying."

Athena shoots me an annoyed look. "I'll let Annabeth explain it to you."

She sighs and slumped back on the wall. "Percy. Our camouflage equipment won't matter once they see us and get a lock on our electromagnetic signal." She looks at the General for confirmation who simply gestures for her to go on. "So hiding out of the question and so is using our weapons. With all the debris we don't have a clean shot and the other ships are still hiding."

"But that means their ships can't hit us either." I add hopefully.

"True, but they have better tracking systems and they don't need a clean shot. Not when their plasma torpedoes can be redirected to hit us. The only thing they need is less debris in the way."

"So our only option is to die?"

"It isn't. After considering all our variables, I deduce that we can attempt a break out with all our remaining weapons. We have four MAC rounds, Three Shive Warheads and all remaining Autocannons and Archer missile tubes are still functional."

"We can probably put up a good fight before we're destroyed." Athena puts in, her jaw clenched in determination. Even Annabeth seems to be a bit more hardened after that discussion.

I curl my fingers into a fist and slam it into the wall. "No. That can't be the only way! I'm not about to give up that quickly." Desperation creeped up into my voice. I was terrified. I knew from the moment I signed up to be a Spartan that I would die. But I always wanted it dying on the battlefield, preferably after killing many, many Covenant.

"It is." Athena replies somberly. Her normally commanding voice sounded so tired. Almost as if death was welcoming, like a break from everything. It scared the crap out of me. "Lieutenant arm all warheads and put a fresh MAC round in the cannon. Let's give these aliens a fight they will remember forever."

The weapons officer, pale as death nods. In the split second I saw his face, pity filled me for all the men and women on board the bridge for having to rush headlong into death, and jealousy for the people below for their ignorance.

I was tempted to run downstairs and warn my teammates to get out of here. To jump aboard an escape pod and fly out while they still had a chance. But in the end I knew they wouldn't go without me.

"Fire all autocannons." Athena shouts, putting her glasses back on. A dozen point-defense guns going off rattle the entire ship. Bullets ping against metal, blowing tiny holes into them until they were weak enough to just break apart on their own.

A sustained burst when on for almost a minute before the guns stop, smoke rising from the barrels and literally thousands of empty shell casings were floating around them.

"Forward!" Athena shouts. The _Paris_ begins to move forward, pushing through the tiny bits of wreckage. Now there was only a tiny pieces of metal between us and then enemy ships. An easy clean shot for us

"Energy levels climbing on the cruisers. Their preparing to fire on us." A tech reports urgently.

Athen doesn't seem overly concerned. "Good. That's what I was hoping for. Prepare the MAC to fire on the cruiser on the left. We use the same tactics we used on the Destroyer."

That last sentence didn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence from the crew after our last battle nearly cost us our lives. But none of them protest, especially after seeing the lights on the battlecruisers plasma cannon begin to power up and charge. A sphere of plasma begins to form in front

The shield around the cannon's begin to vanish. A small hole forms and the shield angles towards me. "Fire!"

A shudder goes throughout the ship as the MAC fires once. Made from a depleted uranium core, the massive slub easily flies through the tiny bits of debris in its path, burning its way towards the Covenant ship.

It strikes home, crumpling the ship's hull like paper. The cannon tries to fire, but the damage was too much for it and causes explosions begin to blossom throughout the area. It wasn't a killing blow, but at least it would leave it disabled for the moment.

But the other ship was still in action. Its plasma turret was preparing to fire, and though over a hundred Archer missiles do manage to hit it. Its effect is far less effective than the MAC gun, it does manage to knock the turret off course.

The plasma torpedoes fly towards us, thankfully missing the bridge narrowly. Instead it burns through the sides. The Titanium-A armor starts to boil away and klaxons start to blare as the decks begin to melt away.

A large gash was left in the starboard side like a brutal scar.

"Begin pressurizing all damaged decks and reload our weapons." Athen marches around the bridge, pointing at then battlecruisers. "Lets show them that we're not about to give up so easily"

The MAC fires again at the first cruiser. Then slug stops short as the shields were back up and absorb the weapon. Flames were burning on the side of the ship and its armor took a serious beating. But it was still ready to fight again. And that wasn't even starting with the second ship.

I felt my heart begin to thunder rapidly in my chest. So there really was no way around this. Sweat begins to trickle down my face. Gods no not like this. I don't want to die like this.

The console of the navigation officer begins to beep. What could he be doing? A slipspace jump is impossible in these quarters and with ships with us. "Slipspace signatures! ETA in twenty three seconds!"

Gods what was happening.

A blue portal materializes right behind the cruisers. Then another. And three more. It kept going until there were nine in all.

The largest one began to swirl as something came out. A massive Carrier begins to speed towards the damaged cruiser. It tore through the narrow section behind the head.

The battlecruiser didn't stand a chance.

Maybe if it was at full power and undamaged from our previous salvo then it might have been able to handle the attack. Instead it broke like a head snapping off from a neck. The Carrier emerged through the flames, smoke trailing behind it.

The other ships, a Halcyon-class light cruiser and several Frigates and Destroyers form up around the Carrier. As one they fire on the surviving cruiser. Each one slams along the length of the ship.

Almost instantly then shields shudder and overload, now unprotected the MAC rounds rip its hull and breaks apart.

Everyone was silent for a long moment. No one was able to comprehend what had just happened. A moment ago everyone was expecting death, but now. We were alive.

Slowly, the woman behind the Operations controls begins to cheer. She was followed by the Lieutenant on Weapons systems. Then two techs standing behind him. The effect was a chain reaction with everyone bursting out to cheering and clapping.

Even Annabeth surprisingly throws her arms around me in a tight hug. "We did it! We survived."

I shake off my surprise and smile back, returning the hug. "Yes, yes we did."

A holotank powers up. This was supposed to be used for the shipboard AI, but as we don't have one it can double as a communication device. A short, stocky man was projected a few inches in the air. He wore full marine uniform with the badges of a Brigadier General. The only thing that ruined his strict militant image where the Ray Ban sunglasses.

"Greetings Paris crew." He announces, grinning broadly. "I've come with reinforcements."

"Oh excellent." Athena grumbles unhappily. "Thank you brother."

Ares lowers his shades slightly to reveal a pair of unnaturally red eyes. He was full on smirking now. "Oh. Hello there little sister. I hope I'm not too late to the battle."

"Where were you a few days ago?" Athena whispers under her breath. "Well maybe not too late to retake New Nicea."

"Already ahead of you." He gave one more confident smile before vanishing.

Athena shakes her head. "What the hell is he planning."

"Well ma'am." Annabeth was looking at the scanners of one of then techs the looks at her data pad. "We're detecting a large number of HEVs being launched from the Carrier towards the planet's surface."

The General's eye twitches. "How many ODSTs were deployed?"

"Approximately a single company of 130 Helljumpers." Annabeth replies.

The General unleashes a string of curses that a fourteen year old should probably never hear. But finally she calms down and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Annabeth, begin deploying our own ODST to support them. I need you with them to gather information." She turns to me. "I need you down there too Spartans." A small smile begins to form. "Someone needs to stop General Ares from getting too crazy."


	15. Chapter 15

**Persephone's POV**

"Nervous Perse?" I felt Nathan grabbing my shoulder as he looks through his scope of his sniper and wipes sand out of it. "See anything?"

I look back into my surveillance gear and sweep it around the perimeter of the temple. The binoculars were specially designed to search for heat signatures. Yet it seemed to notice more on the armor and weapons which actually generated more heat. Something helpful to make them stand out in a desert.

Right now there were dozens if not hundreds of such signatures. "I see a couple of them." I say dryly, transmitting the locations to his HUD. It was surprising to see so many Covenant in this place. What were so many Covenant doing in some nowhere temple? It looked pretty sure, but what was the real military value of it.

Well, that was for ONI spooks to find out.

"Yikes." He says and turns his gun around, following after an Elite on a Ghost. "You still haven't answered me though."

"Maybe a little." I admit, rubbing my hands together. My hands were sweaty under my gloves.

His hand reaches forward and grabs my arm, pulling away from my binoculars. A jolt shoots throughout my body. "Listen Persephone. This isn't our first mission against the Covies and you did great on the last one and you're one of then best Spartans. If anything, the Covenant should be nervous about us. They got two badass Spartans right about to blow their brains out."

"Yet we almost died in our last mission." I remind him quietly.

He shrugs nonchalantly. "So? We're probably gonna almost die on this one, and the next one, and the one after that."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Nathan chuckles and shakes his head. "No." He adjusts his visor until it was transparent and revealed his friendly brown eyes. Just like big balls of chocolate. "But we didn't. That's because I have you watching my back."

Suddenly I was glad that I didn't adjust my visor as well cause I felt my cheeks burning. Quickly, I looked away and focused on the temple complex below. "Thanks." I say, feeling much better and hugged him tightly. He looked up in surprise, but slowly he begins to smile and shakes his head. "You goofball."

He presses my helmet against mine closes his eyes.

"Well I'd hate to break up this rather sweet moment, but we still have a mission to do." My brothers voice suddenly cackles in. His voice was amused and he seems to be struggling not to laugh.

"Percy!" I squeak. "How can you even tell what we're doing?"

"Cause you two have been giving each other goggly eyes since we graduated." He chuckles. "Right guys?"

"Yup." Andrew laughs.

"Its pretty fucking cute." Sam adds. "But we got a mission to complete."

The two of us quickly pull away and blush, not able to meet each other's eyes. But he still grabs my arms and grips it reassuringly. "We'll get through this mission."

With that, he turns back towards his sniper and squares his jaw. He's going into his sniper mode and begins looking for his first target. "Alright give me a breakdown on security."

I make one more quick survey over it. "Alright. They know are boys are coming from the north so that's where most of their defenses are located. Turrets, Ghost and Banshee patrols, and even a couple Wraiths."

"Then let's draw some pressure attention away from them." Nathan replies, aiming towards a trio of Brutes riding a on a team of Choppers. "Alright team, wait for our signal before moving out."

He takes a deep breath and pulls the trigger. My instincts kick in and I follow the vapor trail as the bullet enters a Brute on a Choppers skull. It slumps forward on its console. The now driverless Chopper veers to the side, before tumbling and rolling on the ground.

The other two quickly grind to a sudden stop. The anti-grav generators shut down and they fall to the ground. Their drivers climb out and search around, waving their spike rifles. They bark at each other just as a second round blows another Brutes brains open.

The third, and evidently then smartest one makes a break for it and hides behind his Chopper and stays there. "What's he doing now?" I ask, magnifying my binoculars.

"He's calling for help." Nathan replies. "Good."

A second later his sniper goes off followed by a soft thud. "Wait, a couple squads are breaking off from the front."

He simply shrugs in response and gave me a smirk. "Now how could that have happened? Let's go!" Nathan slings his rifle on his back and slides down the cliffside. He digs his feet in the ground to control his fall, dirt kicking into his boots and his armor changing rapidly to adjust the sand he was kicking up.

I leap after him and deactivate the magnetic lock on my battle rifle. Covenant slowly begin pouring out of the complex. It was Grunts at first, but a few Jackals join them. Just at that moment Nathan pushes himself off then clip and launches himself in the air.

He pulls out a pair of SMGs from his belt and fires while in mid-air. Yet somehow almost 70% of his bullets found their mark and Grunts drop around him as he lands hard on the ground. He smashes one of his guns against a Jackals nose and uses its body to shield himself from oncoming plasma fire.

I stop a few inches from the slope and start picking off aliens. Soon a system forms with Nathan taking the lead and me covering his blind spots. It was an odd role reversal but I welcomed it. Still, this wasn't one that was going to last. More Jackals, and even Elites begin to emerge and force Nathan back. His shields flare up and my HUD indicates that it's draining to dangerous levels.

He seizes a pair of Jackal shield gauntlets and holds in front of himself. I know my battle rifle wouldn't be enough to take them, but damn it he needs help. I squat down to avoid being seen and activate my active camouflage.

I reach into my pauldon and pull out a razor sharp blade. As quick as a viper, I lunge towards a crimson armored Elite who lead the charge. The two of us tumbled to the ground and I drove my blade into his chest.

My cloaking vanishes and reveals myself right in the center of their ranks. Another Elite worts in surprise as I plant a vicious kick into his chest. He was thrown to the ground and I follow up by stomping on his face.

"Glad to see you." Nathan says, holding his shields up even as then begin to change from purple to red.

I pull a grenade out and throw it into the center of the crowd before shoving Nathan back with me. The explosion rips through a squad of Grunts as I drag Nathan off for some cover. The surviving Covenant quickly open fire on us. I return fire with my Battle Rifle and pick of a few while Nathan appears at my side and fires his SMGs.

"You think we have their attention?" Nathan asks, gunning down an Elite.

"You tell me." I shout back as more Covenant pour out of the entrance. "I just hope it's enough for the others."

* * *

 **Percy's POV**

"It looks like you're people did their job Spartan." One of the ODSTs remarks, looking up from his binoculars.

"Don't worry Lieutenant, we'll soften them up for you." Sam says as she walks past us and climbs onto the back of a warthog and begins to check its turret. A single empty shell drops from the turret as she grins. "Let's go?"

I nod, raising my COMs. "How are things on your end Andrew?"

"All clear. Squad A just needs your go signal." He grunts.

The ODST Company commander looks at me and gives me the thumbs up. "Give them hell Spartan." My second squad is ready to back you up if you need any support."

Checking my assault rifle one last time before sprinting forward. A hog drives right above me, landing in front of me, Sam screams in laughter and fires her LAAG into the Covenant position.

But these weren't unprepared rabble or inexperienced rookies. Even the Grunts made good use of cover placed and shade turrets open fire.

"Come on marines!" I fire full auto at the Jackal directly in front of me who struggled to keep his shield up under my fire and collapses under a sustained burst. Yet as he falls, another takes his place.

The rest of the ODSTs also open fire with me. Sam's hog circles around and rams straight into their barricades, crushing a pair of grunts who were taking cover behind it. Yet several human soldiers drop dead with scorch marks draping their bodies.

"Andrew now!" I shout, diving and rolling forward. I land beside a surprise looking Grunt who receives a full burst of rifle fire in then face.

Suddenly a full squad of Helljumpers open fire on the flanks lead by Andrew who lumbers forward, plasma fire bouncing off his armor. He stops a few feet from their defenses and firmly plants his feet down on the sand. A column of fire bursts out and engulfs the nearest Covenant soldiers. They scramble away, screaming and bathing their bodies as they try to put the flames out.

Finally, an Elite in golden armor raises his sword and waves at his soldiers, worting repeatedly and signaling them to retreat. The Grunts and Jackals were more than eager to withdrew from then fight, though his Elites were a lot more reluctant. Some even continue to fight and were killed.

"That wasn't so hard." I plant out and check my ammo counter. Still plenty of rounds.

The ODST officer appears at my side and grins. "That was just the start kid." He holds up a holomap and points at the outskirts of the temple. "You see that? It was just their outer defenses. Now we need to move in deeper. Let's move soldiers."

An ODST who was advancing ahead suddenly drops down as a thin lance of energy pierces his chest and runs right through him. Before his body hits the ground, more begin to rain down on us. "Snipers! Take cover." Then leader shouts as his men scramble for cover, though not before two more are taken down.

I activate my drop shield to protect then two of us. "Sam whats you're status?"

"Operational, though I don't have sights to take those snipers out."

"Leave that to me, just focus on firing." I say and turn to the ODST as another man falls to sniper fire. His squadmates feebly try to return fire only to dive back as another volley of shots rain on them. "I'll do what I can to keep my shield up, but I need you to find those snipers."

The Lieutenant nods, his head following each plasma beam and marks then source. I quickly divert power from my personal shields and motion tracker to then failing shield as a trio of beams hit all around it.

Five snipers in total are transmitted to mine and Sam's HUD. A rapid snapping sound follows and I know that Sam's taking them out. Three Jackals quickly vanished from my HUD, though before the other two were killed, the machine gun fire stop.

"What's the holdup?" I shout when one shot finally breaks through my shield. I quickly shove the ODST aside as the shot flies over him.

"I don't have a clear shot!" She replies and leaps off her turret, trying to fire with her pistol.

Andrew appears at her side, shielding Sam with his better armor. "Let's take these guys out Percy. High explosive grenades!"

I nod and fire with Andrew our underslung grenade launchers. Explosive shells blow into the dunes and bunkers they hid in and both contacts vanish. "Nice." I nod at Andrew.

"Let's move before more of the Covenant show up." The Lieutenant advices and moves ahead with the rest of the squad.

We follow after them towards the temple complex. As we run, I begin to raise Persephone on the COMs. "Hello? Sis how are things going there?"

There's was nothing but static. "Sis? Persephone?"

"I'm here Percy." Persephone says after a while, her voice was ragged and raw from screaming, gun fire sounded all around her. "Just a bit caught up at the moment."

"Do you need backup?"

"No, I think me and Nathan have things under control. We'll meet you in the temple." She replies and her COMs is cut of.

I curse as an explosion comes of from the other end of the temple. It don't look like anything was under control, but I bite my lip and focus on the mission. The entrance of the temple was huge, over twenty feet high with glowing lights at its side on its arc.

Yet even with Persephone's distraction there were still plenty of Covenant left there, though it seemed that not a lot of them were prepared to ever encounter humans this deep since they were still throwing up hasty defenses. It looks like we could still take them if we move fast enough.

"I'm detecting a lot of movement from the east. Based on the amount of dust being kicked up I'm estimating at least a dozen Ghosts."

"Rockets." I suggest and load another explosive round. "We need explosives to take them out."

The ODST signals for several rocket jockeys away while the bulk of his troops remain behind. I squat down and fire into the shade turret being set up and blow it up along with several nearby Grunts. Andrew does the same and leaps down in the middle.

He fires two grenades followed by a gout of flames. ODSTs rush from the flanks or up the middle. Covenant troops were too busy working to react properly and were thrown into panic. Grunts and Jackals just threw down their weapons and ran while Elites attempt to rally whoever they can for a proper defense.

Yet despite that it was still a brutal battle. Humans soldiers were easily cut down by elites or just bludgeoned if they got too close. One Helljumper sprinted forward, firing his shotgun at an Elite, but at one point his gun jammed and the alien warrior emptied a clip of purple needles before pushing him into a group of others.

Another empties his clip at a pair of Jackals just as a Grunt leaps on his back and claws at him. The pair flop on the ground as the marine rips then Grunts mask. It squeals in surprise and gasps for air.

It seems now a dozen fire fights have broken out everywhere with bodies piling on both sides. Yet it seemed we've finally gained the upper hand as little by little the aliens gave way. Behind me, it the rocket squad was able to take out most of the Ghosts or drove them back.

"Keep fighting you cowards!" My translation software filtered the Zealot voice and translated it as he points his sword forward. Grabbing a human by then neck he slams him on the ground before driving his sword into the man's chest. "Do not back away."

He was thrown back and barely kept his feet planted as a grenade explodes against his shields which flared up. I approach him and remove the empty shell out and advance forward, firing my rifle in full auto.

This further chips at his shields. The Gold armored Elite snarls defiantly in the challenge and lunges at me, sweeping his sword. I duck underneath it and fire another burst at his midsection.

Finally the shields break under the gunfire. The Zealot roars in anger and shoves his arm at my face. I was thrown several feet and land hard on my back. Yet as the alien commander stepped forward, there was a loud _whoosh_ as a rocket struck him.

What was left of his body dropped on the ground, blackened and destroyed. One of the Marines grins and raises his rocket launcher in a salute. I return the gesture and grin, advancing forward. "The temples clear."

"Squad A, advance." A sergeant takes a three man fire team with him at the entrance of the temple.

One man moves up inside and after a moment shouts back at them. "Clear."

That was all it took for the rest of the soldiers to fill in. The temple was worn from the ages, parts were chipped away and there were dents and it was covered by a layer of sand.

I entered after them and swept my rifle around. The inside was massive, easily large enough to fit a small fleet of Pelicans with room to spare. While the outside was worn by time, the inside was perfectly preserved. Metal walls still shone and look as if it was newly made.

The whole complex looks almost lost in time. The only problem is that it's empty, no ancient artifacts, no technology, and most importantly. No Covenant. Just notches and blinking lights. In fact it seemed like the only thing left of any value was the terminal that was probably only left because it was nailed down.

"Where the hell is everyone?" One marine comments as the rest of his squad enters.

A tech specialist moves towards the terminal and begins to examine it. "Maybe this will help give us some answers."

Andrew goes and join him and the pair quickly begin to work. Something to my side gets my attention and I break away from the squad who remained in the rooms center and towards the side.

If the Covenant did attack this section then they made sure to hide it. Even bodies of humans and Covenant were taken away. But not then blood. I muse as I look at the dark purple puddle that bow stained the wall.

I remove my glove and press my hand against it. The texture was thick and gooey. Elite blood then. I look around and see more stains all over the sides. Sadly, there was more than a little human blood left over, even a few bloody handprints all over one section of the wall.

Looks like the Covenant didn't clean up quite as well as I thought. They probably didn't have enough time to get rid of it and thought that the niches on the side would hide it.

"Got something!" Andrew announces as a hologram begins to play above the console. It was of the room, though this time it was filled with humans. Researchers and guards stand all around the complex. "Let me speed this up." He mutters and runs his hand across the gyroscope like sphere on the console.

Things seem to fast forward as the door we came in starts to shudder. Everyone jumps back as it was banged again, this a little bit of time sand pushes through. Guards level their weapons at the door, advancing closer.

The third strike breaks the door completely, disintegrating it as it falls. Covenant quickly rush through and attack.

The fight was over before it really started. Within a few minutes all the humans were dead, the defenders fought well, managing to take a couple of Elites and plenty of Grunts and Jackals but I'm the and they all lay dead on the ground.

Quickly, the surviving aliens began ransacking the temple, tearing off whatever wasn't nailed down as a Zealot picked up a still living human and placed his hand on the terminal. It activated another door on the side of the structure which they brought down the captured loot while would drag bodies for disposal.

I freeze as I watch the last Jackal scurry below. Looking back and forth to try and confirm it I realize that it was on the exact spot I was standing a few minutes ago. "I recognize that spot where the door is." I sy, leading the men over. "It's over there."

The Lieutenant reaches into his belt and pulls out a frag grenade. "Not a problem. I specialize in making entrances."

Quickly, the rest of us back away as he drops the weapon to the ground and takes cover behind the terminal. A few seconds later an explosion rips through the room, throwing bits of metal everywhere.

I peer over and see a passageway that was now revealed. "Well." The leader says, patting me on the shoulder. He activates his guns flashlight and takes a step into the cavern. "Seems you were right about the entrance."

His men watch his flank and sweep their flashlights in an interlocking pattern that kept the entire hall lit. The tunnel looks much less used than the rest of the structure, the only sign of anyone ever using it was then blood stains left behind by their alien enemies. "It looks like it's some sort of emergency exit." I muse out loud. "Guess whoever built this place had enemies too."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Andrew grumbles beside me. "Makes it seem like there's something going to attack up from the shadows."

One Marine snickers and creeps up behind Andrew and places three fingers on him, making spider noises. The big Spartan screams and throws the soldiers over his shoulder. The man groans in pain, rubbing the back of his head.

"Quit messing around soldiers!" The Lieutenant looks back hisses at us. "We need quiet. Besides I'm think I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Keep quiet. We don't wanna alert the Covies."

We advance ahead and walk to the end of the tunnel to what appears to be a hanger. And true to the video, the Covenant were scattered throughout the area and began piling crates of stolen technology into a pair of docked Phantoms. Bodies of the human guards and researchers were left haphazardly in one corner.

Some marines moves forward and take aim but I stop them. "Wait, don't attack just yet. Those Phantoms will tear us to pieces if we attack them now. I need a launcher."

Someone behind me passes a SPNKr. I take it with both hands and activate the 2X scope. I aim at one of the Phantoms front engines as it begins to take off. Squeezing the trigger, a rocket fires and the front of the alien gunship. It detonates and slams into the side of the wall, and catches fire. The bay door was shattered open and several Aliens manage to crawl out.

"Now, fire!" I say, dropping my launcher and firing my assault rifle. Everyone joins in and begins picking at Aliens that ran around in surprise, some trying to return fire or put out the flames. The other ship tries to take off just as a pair of rockets took out its engines.

Sam appears behind me and leaps off the edge, firing her shotgun into his head as she lands above him. She grins and pumps a fresh round and sweeps her leg around and knocks several off their feet.

I follow after her and begin firing my rifle, now in full auto as I spray fire at any alien close to me. More ODSTs join in and assist in taking out the remaining Covenant. It wasn't long until every Covenant lay dead on the ground.

"Begin unloading the cargo from their Phantoms, and be sure to get everything. The egg would appreciate it if we didn't lose any of their shiny artifacts." The Lieutenant says, gesturing for a squad towards the Phantom.

I remain outside to secure the area. Some of the Covenant were still squirming on the ground, trying to crawl away and reach for weapons. Me and the rest of Crusader gladly put bullets in their skulls.

The suddenly I remember something very important. I reach for my COMs and speak to a private channel. "How are things going out there sis?"

"We've secured the outside Percy, though a few Covies managed to slink away. Were hunting them down as we speak." Persephone's voice replies much to my relief. "Do you guys need help down there?"

"Nah we got things under control here." She replies casually. "I'm signing off now, found a couple of survivors."

An ODST suddenly screams as he was lifted off the ground, glancing at his chest and saw a glowing tip sticking out of his body like a skewer. The tip was pulled out and he drops like a stone.

"Elite!" I shout, firing bursts of rifle fire at the space around the blade. A black armored alien materializes, but I doubt it was because of my fire. Instead he roars in a challenge and hurls a plasma grenade before retreating again.

"Form up marines and find that Elite." The leader yells and is joined by his fireteam. Sam and Andrew stand on my side and the three of us begin to sweep for the enemy.

Another marine was cut down by the Elite who reappears and leaps down, slamming his foot into the man beside him. Sam this time was the one who attacked forward and fires her shotgun. At the last second he blocks her blast and grabs her by the neck. Choking out in anger, she kicks around as she's lifted off the ground.

"Don't move!" An ODST raises her pistol at him. Growling, he smacks the female ODST across the face with Sam like a baseball bat. He throws her aside and leaps towards me, drawing his sword.

I stop firing and swing my rifle across his face. The Elite was briefly stunned which gives Andrew a chance to fire his flamethrower. Sparks burst across his armor and then intense heat begins to overload it. The warrior leaps back and slashes his sword again at anyone who approaches.

Andrew continues to herd him back as Sam gets to her feet, leveling her bayonet and jabbing it at him. I take up the flank and further deplete his shields with my rifle. The alien keeps backpedaling, until he felt his back pressed against the corner.

He reached for something in his belt, and pulls out another sphere. This one was much larger than a simple grenade, it was then size of a globe and he rolled it towards us. It opened up and unleashes a burst of electricity at us. I stumble back and feel my shields drain rapidly.

The Elite takes this chance to retreat, shoving me back as he vanishes back to the hallway we came from.


	16. Chapter 16

**No POV**

Tos 'Rofumee didn't know how long he has been running, but each time he stopped he heard the human voices behind him shouting. It was far closer than he would have like so he continued his sprint.

It was only when Zur 'Nufamee raises his arm in front of him did the younger Sangheili halt. "Activate your camouflage." He advises, pointing at the entrance. Several humans walk past them, rifles held ready.

He nods and presses the button to use his cloaking. Tos waits for the humans to pass before moving. Even though they were supposed to be invisible, the heat causes slight distortions that made them more visible.

Zur moves with equal caution and trails after him. They kept their banshees a short distance away from the base, just for this kind of situation. Sangheili did not enjoy considering the possibility of failure, but the grizzled veteran understood its merits.

Only when the pair were sure that they were no longer within tracking range from the humans did Tos speak up. "So what now Commander?" He makes no attempt to hide his anger and disappointment. "What shall we do that our ambush has failed."

Zur looks back at him, his mandibles clicking as he thinks about what he saw. Finally the warrior speaks. "We plan again young one. While this ambush may have failed, it can be the key to many victories."

"I do not understand?"

The expression on Special Operations Officer's face was a mix of amusement and exasperation. "We learned from this encounter. How they fight. How they are strong." He pauses and clenches his fist tightly as he could. "And what makes them weak. They fight well as a unit, but as individuals even demons may falter."

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

My gaze follows after my new Commanding Officer wearily. General Ares was one of the UNSC's most effective officers, but also of the most brutal. More soldiers have died under his command than anyone else.

And he gets aggressive. Very easily.

Now he stands before me and Nathan right now. He looks more a biker you would find cruising down a highway than a general in command of the most capable marine divisions. He wore a marine dress uniform that barely contained his massive muscles. His eyes were hidden beneath a pair of raybans.

"So, these are the two kids who took on a whole fucking Covenant battalion?" He asks a nervous looking officer who stood at his side.

"Yes sir, these are the members of fireteam Crusader that you asked for. General Athena spoke very highly of their skills-" The soldier began to explain before Ares lost interest and simply got up and starts to pace the floor in front of us.

"I don't really care what she has to say about them." He says curtly. "I can form my own opinions on these two, thank you."

He inspect the two of us like a prized horse, as he moves he takes a data pad from his tech and looks over them. "Nathan-B178, Sniper and marksman. You were at one point the worst hand to hand fighter in your company."

Nathan flushes at the mention of his previous track record. The look on his face told me everything he was thinking. Why put that on my record?

I offer him a shrug as Ares turns to me. "Persephone B-312. You and your brother made a legendary team, but it says here you got a mouth." He chuckles. "Athena herself says you have one count of insubordination directly to her. Lucky for you Spartans don't need to become officers cause your career as a CO is as good as dead now."

He pats the two of us on the back, throwing his head back and laughs. "Well lucky for you I don't mind someone with a mouth under my command."

"Your command sir?" Nathan inquires, raising an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that General Athena was in command of the counter-attack operation?"

"She was in charge of the resistance sure," He agrees, nodding his head. "but I was given overall command of the offensive by HIGHCOM. And I say that it's time we take the battle to them. I got a mission for you."

I clear my throat. "Ummm sir with all due respect, shouldn't we wait for the rest my fireteam?"

"They are being deployed on other sabotage operations, but I have need of you two elsewhere. I think it's safe to say that the rest of you team isn't quite as 'discreet' as you two are."

Despite myself, I beam at him. Against my better judgement I decide that I like General Ares. Unlike Athena who was extremely by the book and strict, he seems more willing to look the other way with the rules.

Nathan seems to share my sentiments as he flashes me a grin. "What do you need us to do?"

A map materializes on the screen. It was of the planet's largest continent. It looks vaguely like a bean and was mostly barren, though the many mountains and canyons had given it a thriving mining economy.

The map zooms in closes to once such mine. But hoovering hundreds of feet above it was a Covenant Battlecruiser. From its center was a long purple beam. The gravity lift.

"My spies tell me that this is the Covenant Fleets flagship. And more importantly that there's an important VIP on board. A Prophet." Ares explains.

Nathan lets out a long whistle. A Prophet was supposed to be the leaders of the Covenant, both religiously and politically. But so far they were little more than theories and speculations. If there was one on board that cruiser, then that could be a wealth of information.

"You would like us to captures the Prophet?" I guess.

"If it's possible." Ares replies. "But command will understand if you have to take him out. The two of you will deployed via pelican and you will infiltrate the ship through its gravity lift. From there you can work your way up to the Prophets quarters. My scouts as well as several prisoners we interrogated suggest that that will be located somewhere in the bow of the ship. Sound good?"

Nathan pounds his fists against each other, grinning viciously. I also feel energized, and even a little angry. Like I wanted to go in and kill every alien that stood in my way. I guess that was the effect Ares had on his soldiers. "Definitely sir."

"Good." He smiles, adjusting his glasses. "But theres one more thing."

The General walks away, telling us to remain there. When he came back he was carrying a case bound by charcoal black leather. "For you two. The rest of your squad have already received their gifts."

He flipped the switch to reveal a pair of fine looking sabers. They were surrounded by a layer of soft looking velvet. The blades themselves were straight bladed, and made from spotless steel that didn't sport a single knot or scratch. The ornate gold metal that made up its hilt and guard curved gently and ended in a ball shaped pommel. I recognize them from the pictures of French officers waving blades like these around during the Napoleonic wars.

"These look amazing." Nathan says, keeping his hands away from touching them. I didn't make any move to get them, afraid that they'll be snatched away. But Ares simply mudges the box forward. "Come on take them. It's a gift from good soldiers."

I hesitantly lift one from the box. It was perfectly balanced, clearly these were made only by a master smith.

"So we can keep them?"

"I advise you to bring them with you. Close quarters down there and although it may seem a tad old fashioned, you'll never know how useful a blade like this could be."

I grin and do a practice stab with my sword. If an Elite can survive 30 armor piercing rounds from an assault rifle, lets see them survive this. She held the blade towards her face as Ares salutes to us. "Ready Spartans?"

The two of us salute at him. "Sir yes sir."

* * *

I carefully maneuver the pelican around, flying low to blend in with the rocks. A squadron of banshees flew overhead past me and swerve back to the command ship. It was easy to hide in the few shrubs and trees.

The Pelican we were given for the mission was modified with advanced stealth capabilities. Although not exactly active camouflage, it was good enough to keep the ship hidden from the patrols. I adjust the VTOL until the ship remains in a hovering position near a crevice abutting the main quarry.

With the bird under control I turn to the controller of the camera on the gunships nose. I grab the joystick and begin to move it down towards the crevice. Zooming in, I finally spot Nathan moving through the shrubbery. He crouches down and the barrel of his sniper pokes out as a jackal walks past him.

The gun goes off and the alien drops to the ground, blood leaking from the new hole at the back of his head. Nathan quickly leaps from his hiding spot and moves to some rocks as several other Jackals investigate their companion.

I flip the safeties off the 40mm chain gun on the Pelicans front and fire. A row of bullet holes appear in the sand and I was rewarded with several Jackals exploding into flurries of blood and flesh.

"Thanks." Nathan says as he moves from his hiding spot and throws a grenade into the path leading to a quarry. The explosion occurs a second later and Nathan charges forward, firing his SMGs. "The space is too narrow and guarded for the Pelican. Best proceed on foot."

"Copy that." I said, setting the pelican down on a butte and slinging my battle rifle over one shoulder. Dust was blown around by the ship's engines so I stop and wait a couple minutes before opening the bay doors.

Nathan stood right in front the doors, wiping dust from his armor as he gestures for me to follow him. "Thanks." He says dryly.

"Sorry about that." I apologize sheepishly, making sure to keep the dropship hidden, before jogging after him. If everything goes according to plan then we'll use it for our escape. If not, then we'll improvise.

The path was clear after Nathan's attack, all that remains of the guards were their smoldering corpses. Still I gave each body another shot to the head for good measure. "Over here." Nathan gestures over to me, pointing a rope that lead further down to the mine.

He grabs hold and slides down with me closely after. My legs sink knee deep into muddy water, or at least what I hoped was water. I surveyed the area which was a one way tunnel leading towards a clearing. I squatted down and listen, keeping my rifle trained towards the tunnel. There was a deep gurgling sound coming from the end.

Nathan advances, raising his rifle, but I gesture for him to stop.

"Hang on here while I scout ahead." I say to Nathan, activating my cloaking and moving forward to light at the end. It was surprisingly bright, so much so that I had to cover my eyes. The clearing was multiple stories deep, going downwards.

I lay down on my stomach and peer through the scope of my battle rifle to what's happening below. I spot the source of the lights. Covenant power cells. They were being hoisted down from an opening above. Below were Unggoy, entire squads worth of them, either lounging around lazily, napping or digging through with makeshift shovels.

Hmmm, interesting. I've seen pictures of Covenant digging equipment; giant walkers with lasers that could burn through steel in seconds. It was odd to see them resorting to such crude measures to dig. Was it lack of equipment or were they being strangely catious. I make sure my helmet was getting all of this.

The rumbling sound came again, then heavy footsteps. A pair of Hunters suddenly emerged from one of the caverns and roared angrily, startling the snoozing Grunts. They scrambled away as the walking tanks advance. One Major trips on his legs as he runs and squeaks in terror just as a massive shield came crashing down on him.

When the Hunter lifted his army again, it and the ground was smeared with blood and pulp. It doesn't even go after the other Grunts and simply lumbers back to the side of the room with its bond brother.

Well, that complicates things. I back away, afraid that one might have seen me. I roll to my back and look at the floors above. True enough there were more Hunters stationed there as well. Just as I get up, another batch of power cells were being lowered down.

A vague idea begins to assemble itself in my mind as I run back to Nathan. I reactivate my camouflage and nod at him. He was holding his position where I left him. He stands up and makes a gesture for a smile. "What did you see?"

I return the gesture. "Well it's not gonna be easy. There's a whole bunch of Grunts down there, maybe even a company's worth of the little gas suckers, plus an unidentified number of Hunters. I don't think it's a good idea to fight them all."

"You think?" He replies, checking the ammo counter on his weapons before cursing under his breath. "Did you see any way around them?"

"No." I admit, looking around the rest of my equipment. Aside from my guns all I had were a couple of frag grenades. Not nearly enough for what I had plan. There was a satchel of explosives in the weapons locker of the pelican, now I want to slap myself for leaving it there. "The only way I saw was a cavern and there's a pair of Hunters guarding it. But I think I have an idea."

"I'm all ears."

"First, you got any explosives." Nathan pulls out half a dozen cans of C-12 foaming explosives. "Andrew gave me a couple before the mission started." He shrugs nonchalantly.

"Good." I scoop up four of them and hold them in my hands. "This should be enough."

The two of us return to the tunnel. "Find a clear shot where you can hit a target below and I'll handle the rest. Just be ready to fire when I send the message."

He gives a green acknowledgment light as he vanishes up to the ramp. The sound of gears turning and cranes being lowered causes me to look up and smile. I make sure that my camouflage was on as I leap onto the platform with the power cells. I stumble forward to catch one as it nearly topples off the edge.

A Grunt looks over the edge from his spot, pointing his needler in my direction. I squat down and pull out my pistol, attaching the silencer to the barrel. If I could take him out quickly and discreetly then-no the little alien already lost interest and starts to wobble pack to nis patrol.

Before the platform hits the ground and the four Grunts assigned to that area could move closer. I pushed my body to a full sprint as far as I can get from the bottom. My legs ache and scream for me to stop but I don't even slow down before seeing the Hunters Guarding the cavern. My feet slip against the wet stone and I fall to the my side. "Nathan now!"

A single shot went off and everything burst into a burst of blue and white light. Glass and gore fly everywhere. The Hunters move past me, looming over to the sight of the damage. Every Grunt within a thirty foot radius was wiped out and anyone who was still alive went to inspect the damage.

Quick as a panther. I leap down to the ground once again, careful to keep hidden and staying in the sides. I reach for my belt and pull out the explosives. Carefully I move around the area, identifying each load bearing area before placing the explosives.

Nathan remained above, taking out any Grunts who manage to spot me. "Explosives are set. You can come down now." I say as I begin to set the last of the C-12. But as I place it, the bomb slips from my hand and falls on the ground with a metallic clang.

A Hunter whirls around and fires its arm cannon. A steady beam of plasma blasts out and tears through my shield. Behind me the cavern walls smoke and disintegrate slightly. "Run!" I shout, my shields internal alarm sounds dangerously as a second volley hits.

The other Covenant soldiers jump back in a panic, grunts reaching for their guns while Hunters shove past each other to get a clear shot. The only one who seems prepared was the Hunter's bond brother. When his spines rise it lumbers forward with purpose and raises its plasma cannon.

I roll to the side and fire five three-round bursts from my battle rifle. The Hunter squats down and raises its shield, each bullet strikes and drops down harmlessly.

It roars angrily and suddenly stiffens as a vapor trail appears through its body. The monster takes another step, but crashes onto the ground. A cry in outrage from the second Hunter draws Nathan's attention to it. It comes skidding to a stop and follows the vapor trail, eager to avenge its twin.

A single blob of green plasma destroys the spot where Nathan was standing. He manages to scramble back and avoid getting incinerated, though it threw off his shot and all he does is knock off a few of its spines.

I take this opportunity and charge forward. I throw myself in the air and take hold of one of the remaining spines, then curse as it cuts my glove. The Hunter bucks and thrashes around wildly, trying to shake me off. I shake and was nearly thrown off, only keeping grip with one hand on his spine.

The Hunter's hands flail and try to swat me off. Nathan fires a bullet into his leg, not doing any damage but phasing him enough to slow the monster down. I manage to wrap my legs around his waist and pull out my pistol.

I fire it at his unarmored head and the Hunter dances madly, stumbling as bits of worms splatter everywhere. Nathan appears from the side of the ramp and gives me a mocking salute.

I chuckle, shaking my head and returning the salute. "Lets keep going."

"Right." He says, running beside me. "How long until the C-12 goes off?"m

"About five minutes." I reply, reloading my rifle. I didn't know where we were going, but at this point anything was better than staying in that area. We followed the tunnels, going through the single path until we saw a light.

This time when we emerge it was the surface. The massive shadow of the Covenant Battlecruiser looms over us. I threw myself against Nathan just the gravity lift drops another squad of Covenant soldiers. We stumble behind a tree but at least no one saw us.

Down below there was a small army of them already assembled. Dozens of Grunts, Jackals and Elites were making camp, gathering equipment or setting up structures. "Any ideas as for how to get through this?"

The ground briefly shook and nearly threw me back down. A white armored Elite Ultra points to the caves and two squads of aliens descend to investigate. "Nows our chance." I whisper, making a run for the gravity lift.

I fire rapid bursts into the guards there, dropping a trio of Jackals before they even know what hits them. The Ultra roars in outrage, drawing his blade on his left hand and fires his plasma rifle on his right one.

Bolts of blue plasma singe my armor and burn through my shields a quarter. More fire joins him as the other Covenant troops realize what's happening. I leap to one side and tackle an Elite to the ground, firing twice into his head before lifting up his body as a shield.

His body shakes and trembles with each blow but it holds for now. Nathan fires and I see two grunts drop to the ground. He fired the rest of his clip in quick succession at the guards protecting the Ultra before barreling towards him.

The alien warrior pivots on one foot and fires his plasma rifle directly at him. Nathan's shields flare and he covered his face with his hands. Seeing an opportunity, the Ultra lunges and grabs Nathan by the neck before slamming him onto the ground.

"Nathan!" I scream and throw the body of the Elite to a pair of his companions and shoot both of them before they could even throw the body off. I fire my rifle at the Ultra until his shields drop. I grin and squeeze the trigger again, but this time all that came out was an empty click.

The Elite rose up and drops his rifle, though physically impossible, the alien did his best to grin triumphantly and brandish his sword. I reach for my own saber and pull it out, raising it in a challenge. In our advanced Headhunter training we learned some swordplay, but nothing outside of the basics.

I ready my blade and get into a defensive stance. The Elite makes the first move, lunging forward, I step back and raise my blade to parry it. The sword was well made and didn't break, though it still sparked and flashed when they made contact.

Stepping to the side I swing my sword low, aiming to hit him in the stomach. But the Elite was made of smarter stuff and pivoted his chest back and bringing his knee up to catch my in the stomach.

Doubling over in pain, I stumble to the ground right beside him. He raises his sword and prepares to bring it down on my. I grip my sword, groaning in agony. With a swift swing I strike his ankles. The blade should have sliced through his ankles and Achilles heel, leaving him crippled. But instead it scratched his armor and left a long thin line. Still it knocks the alien off balance and gives me a chance to swing my leg behind his knee.

He stumbles around and gives me a chance to get up. I leap on his back and grab a hold of his neck, and wrapping it in a headlock before twisting. It wasn't long until I heard a satisfying snap of it breaking.

Nathan appears beside me, loading another clip into his rifle. "There's still way more aliens around us. I suggest we get up to the gravity lift now."

I nod, pulling my sword up and gipping it tightly as we run to the gravity lift. Aliens fire and shoot at us. We didn't bother fighting them anymore and simply avoided fire as we reach the gravity lift. It took a few seconds, but I soon feel a tugging feeling all over my body. It pulls upwards and when I look down I saw my legs no longer touching the ground.

We rise further and further towards the ship. "Here we go." Nathan mutters as there was a blinding light that approaches. It grows larger until it fills my vision and soon consumes us.

* * *

I blink and rub my eyes, dropping to the ground, feeling my boots hit solid ground. It was far closer than I first thought. Instead of the open valley I was now in a room of purple. I look around and get a strong claustrophobic vibe from it.

It's not that the room was small, it was actually quite large but majority of the room was dominated by a pair of Wraith tanks that were parked there. Nathan drops behind me and raises his sniper in the air.

There was a loud crash as a pair of Grunts were staring at me in surprise. One dropped the metal crate in his box. At once both aliens turn and run. Nathan grins and shoots one through the skull. The other manages to climb onto the Wraiths turrets. I fire a burst which explodes at his feet. The Grunt shrieks and stumbles on it. He turns the weapon towards us. "Run!" I shout, shoving Nathan back as he fires the turret.

Super heated plasma slam into me, shoving me back into some crates. While I'm in the air I fire again and nail the grunt before falling to the ground. The Grunt slumps back on his seat.

"Well." Nathan says, slinging his rifle and pulls out a pair of SMGs. "That went better than expected. You ok?"

I give him a nod, flashing him a thumbs up. He offers his hands and helps me. I wait for my shield to recharge before following Nathan to one of the half dozen doors around the room. He kneels down and pulls out a spoofer, turning it on and placing it on one of the doors.

It rapidly begins running numbers across its screen before a light signs bright green and the door begins to unlock itself. The two of us move, following the directions we were given by Ares. Aside from the hangers, bridge and a few other places, the entire ship seemed to made up of just hallways. I could see why now the Covenant ships were so hard to destroy. Vital areas were surrounded by layers of halls like this to make anything less than a killing blow ineffective.

Every corner was crawling with Covenant soldiers. More than once it was only through my armors shielding that I survived what my original PSI would have faltered ammo count drops rapidly and I drop my battle rifle as it clicks instead of discharging another round to an Grunt. The small alien takes this as an opportunity and moves forward, firing his needle gun.

Crystaline shards explode all around me. I grow, in anger before throwing my rifle at him with all my strength. The empty gun connects with his skull and falls with a loud crack. "Move up, move up."

Nathan advances and takes out any surviving enemies. I trail after him, scooping up the fallen Grunts weapon. "Come on, the Prophet's chamber should be just around the corner."

"Right." I saw, inspecting the weapon and tapping its sides as i try to figure out how to use it. I insert my hand into a slot in the back and feel the weapon link up with my HUD.

We don't advance right away. Me and Nathan press our bodies against the walls, peeking over the side to see if there are any enemy soldiers beyond. "Let's move." The two of us leap out of our hiding spot and raise our guns.

The hall didn't have a single guard. It was odd that we've had to fight through so ,any Covenant to get here only to have the one place where the security was expected to be unprotected. "You notice any stealthed enemies?"

Nathan looks through his sniper scope, adjusting the zoom and shaking his head. "No, it doesn't look like it. You got your stun rounds?"

I reach into my pocket and pull out a clip of the weapons, holding it up for him to see. "Remember how this felt in the morning?" I flip it in the air before removing the clip of standard bullets from my M6 and swapping the rounds.

He chuckles. "I remember not being able to walk properly for a week after that."

"Then I feel so bad to the Prophet. Kick the door down on my signal." I say, kneeling down and raising my gun. He shows me his hand as he counts down. Three. Two. One.

He hits the door key and throws a grenade in. "Get down." Nathan shouts, throwing himself to the ground and covering his head. I do the same and duck as there was a brief flash followed by a feminine shriek.

I burst in, shoving some tacky curtains hanging above the entrance aside and raising my pistol at two bodies who emerge from the bed. I squeeze two rounds out and watch both of them drop to the ground, spasming slightly.

I look down and feel a frown form on my lips. Elites, females and dressed in skimpy, see through night gowns. Guess even Aliens need some stress relief. From another room, two more Elites burst in, this time they were dressed in red, ornate ceremonial armor. Both had their swords drawn as they advance.

"Whats going on?" A voice from under the sheets shouts. He sounds confused and angry, like he doesn't know we're here yet.

Both guards drop as a bullet finds themselves into their head. Nathan raises two of his fingers in a salute. I grin and aim my pistol at the lumo moving around through the sheets. The Prophet pokes his head out and turns to me. His face was briefly in shock, yet slowly he begins to laugh. At first it was a low chuckle, but soon turned into a hysteric cackle.

"What's so funny old man?" I question, aiming it straight at his head.

"Oh nothing. But my guards were quite patient to wait for you here. Little demon." He points behind me towards the door. I tilt my head slightly and see a force field forming at the door. Nathan was on the other side, backing away in confusion. He pounded against field, causing brief ripples but otherwise leaving it unharmed.

"Take the Prophet." He shouts suddenly. "We'll handle this later."

I remember why I was here and turn around, firing a single round. The world seems to go in slow motion. I watch the bullet go flying straight at the Covenant leaders head. But it stops a few inches from his head and the flattened bullet drops to the ground.

An energy stave suddenly appears in front of the Prophet. More and more of the stave appears, followed by a leathery hand and another armored Elite. He grins and suddenly slams his stave into me, sending my flying.

I crash onto the Prophets nightstand, crushing it under the weight of my armor. "Careful you fools." the Prophet shouts angrily towards his guards. Two more appear armed with staves and move closer. One grabs the Prophet and escorts him away.

Fuck, I can't let him get away. I pull out my needler and spray rounds everywhere. They tracked their targets so I didn't even bother to aim. Both guards continued to move forward in spite of the hail of tiny needles exploding against their armor.

Outside I heard several gunshots echo to the room. My heart beats faster and I feel panic begin to edge at my mind. I need get to Nathan now. I surge forward, firing my needler straight at one guard. The needles now shatter his shield and they begin sticking themselves into their armor. As I draw closer I bash my needler against his side. The Elite double over in pain as I press my gun against his stomach and fire.

There was a violent explosion of bone and needles as each one exploded. The other charges at me with his spear and jabs it forward. I dodge to the side and draw my sword, slashing the sword downwards at his halberd. The blade slices through the metal shaft and leaving the Elite to pull back the stave in shock.

I grin and slam the butt of my sword against his head. He crumples to the ground and I run to the force field. Nathan grunts and had finished with the last of his enemies. There was at least five bodies at his feet.

"Hey are you ok?" I ask him, making a gesture with my fingers of a frown. He signs an ok sign in response.

"I'm fine, but where the Prophet?"

I clench my fist and feel a lump form in my throat, but I force it down and speak up. "He's gone. The guards knew that we were coming and set up a trap. They escorted him out of here."

"Damn." Nathan says, banging his head softly against the force field. "So this whole mission was a waste huh? I guess we should just get out of here?"

"I guess so. Check if there's a way to get this force field down." He says, hitting the panels buttons to see if he could open it. I run over to the panel by the Prophets beds and tapping random buttons. The activated various function for his bed, even a cup holder.

I return to him and shake my head. "I can't get the damn thing down. Any luck over there?" A spark came from the panel causing Nathan to jump back.

"No." He curses and punches the panel. Without warning, plasma fire explodes all around him. Nathan whirls around as a trio of Elites emerge from a doorway, firing their carbines at him. Well over a dozen more weren't too far behind them.

He raises his sniper and begins to return fire. One Elite stumbles to the ground. He growls, trying to rise before collapsing dead. A bolt of green energy goes right through his side causing Nathan to drop to the ground.

Nathan grunts in pain, managing to bring up his sniper and shoot the two remaining aliens. "Nathan you need to get out of here." I shout, banging my fists against the force field, trying to get his attention.

"I'm not leaving you." He grunts, checking his sniper and slipping a fresh clip in it.

"Please go." I shout, pointing at another, yet unoccupied passageway. "They'll deactivate the forcefield to get me. I can take them but you need to go before they kill you."

Nathan pauses and slowly turns to me. For a moment I felt a spark of hope that he'll listen to me. But whatever feeling was there was quickly dashed as he removes his helmet, shaking those long blonde curls that I always loved to comb free.

He completely ignores the Elites even as stray Carbine rounds strike the area beside him. Nathan places a hand on the forcefield. A small smile forms across his face, though it doesn't reach his eyes which twinkle sadly.

"I'm going to make sure I take a few more down before they get to you." He says, pressing his head against the field.

"No please don't stay here. Run away!" I wrench my helmet off and feel my eyes sting from tears. I wipe them away viciously and sob. "I'll find you when I get out of this. I can beat them just please don't die!"

"Not even you can fight off that many aliens by yourself. Like it or not only one of us will make it out of here." His voice suddenly grew hard as he raises his rifle tightly. "I'm going to make sure you have a fighting chance to escape."

He turns around and gets into a battle stance. My knees shake and give way underneath me as I bang my fist against the force field weakly, sobbing to the stupidly brave Spartan on the other side of it.

Nathan squeezes the trigger and watches as a pair of Elites drop. He moves from side to side in order to avoid fire, though slowly enough that he's still able to shoot. One of the more eager warriors loses his patience and throws his rifle aside in favor for his sword.

The Spartan swivels and takes aim at him, but the only thing that comes out is an empty click. He grits his teeth and throws his rifle, catching it by the barrel. He swings it at the Elite, ducking under his sword swipe.

The Elite catches the swing at the side of his face and I hear the audible sound of his mandibles breaking. He stumbles back a step as the sniper comes crashing down on his head. This time I hear the crack of his skull splitting open.

Yet Nathan takes another Carbine round through his right shoulder. He grunts and picks up the Elites body and holds him in front of himself. Even dead he takes at a good deal of punishment before Nathan drops him and pulls out his SMGs.

Not allowing himself to lose the initiative, Nathan begins to walk forward and firing his guns from the waist. The rapid firing forces the Elites to take cover and fire from a safe distance.

I watch as one blue armored alien pokes his head out and tries to fire only for a flurry of bullet to lodge in his eyes. Another tries to flank him, only for Nathan to turn and unleash a firestorm of lead at him.

The only ones left to pose any serious resistance were a trio of Elites in the back. The leader growls at his compatriots. He squats down and raises an arm to shield himself as he pulls out a grenade from his belt.

The alien snarls and lobs it at the Spartan. Nathan tries jump back as a blinding light forces me to cover my eyes. When I look again I see Nathan slumped against the barrier, weakly trying to raise his head as the Elites advance. This time they don't waste anytime to pour Carbine rounds into him.

His body trembles and shakes until he finally goes still. One of the aliens, a dark armored alien approaches me. I feel my heartbeat in my ears, I hear it slowing down steadily until it stops. Not because of the Elite or even failing the mission.

The alien presses a button on his wrist gauntlet which deactivates the door. Nathan's body slides back, revealing a pair of brown eyes staring blankly into the distance. He looks almost at peace. The image shifted back to New Acropolis where my parents were gunned down by Elites, then to the evacuation ship as the Covenant Fleet burned the world to nothing.

A soft thud in front of me told me that the alien was approaching. They did this. They took everything from me. My parents, my home and Nathan.

One hand drifts downwards to my sword, the Elite worts cautiously and draws his own sword in a brilliant flash of light. The rest of his squadmates fan out around me. I find Nathan's sword, still sheathed in his belt.

Before I could even reach out for it, one warrior stomps his foot down in front of me and fires his Carbine. The pain feels oddly numb as I advance closer, more rounds strike off my shields. He growls and swings his weapon wildly. I easily dodge it and swing my sword at his stomach.

He fall over in pain, clutching his stomach in pain as blood leaks out. I step over him and do a summersault past the other Elites, feeling my fingers close on Nathan's saber and grip both blades tightly.

Without thinking of my safety I throw myself at them.

* * *

 **No POV**

Persephone fought like a blur of darkness itself, sent by the gods themselves to smite the Covenant down. Her mind was in autopilot at this point, with the only goal was to kill every Covenant she saw.

She slashes and cuts down every alien she sees, ducking under their attacks as if it were nothing and shaking off every shot they fire. Within a few minutes all but a single Elite were all dead.

It was the black armored Elite who deactivated the forcefield. He backs away and brings his blade up to parry Persephone's sword swings. Zur was older and more cautious. He leapt back and sprinted away, seeing Persephone approach, a bloodied sword in each hand and looking more like a wraith rather than a human.

"Commander." Tos shouts, appearing from the hallway with a plasma rifle. A rapid burst forces Persephone to stumble forward, momentarily disorienting her and giving Zur a chance to counterattack.

He jabbed his sword, managing to graze her ribs as her armor protected her from serious injury. She growls and rams her fist into the Zur's face, throwing him across several feet. Zur got up dazedly as he rubbed his mandibles, wincing as he was sure something was broken.

Tos fires again, yet this time Persephone turns on him, flicking both swords with her wrist and sending droplets of blood splashing at him. He squats down and continues firing at her.

Zur snarls and rams her with his shoulder. She crashes to the ground, giving him a chance to grab Tos and retreat. "Come warrior, this plan has failed."

The two quickly retreat as Persephone gets back up, glaring hatefully at them as they disappear from sight.


	17. Chapter 17

**Percy's POV**

"Persephone, are you serious about what you're saying?" I ask my sister for the third time, still not quite believing what I heard. She slams the lid of her suitcase shut, sighing heavily and looks at me. There wasn't a trace of anger or annoyance and that made her even scarier than ever.

Ever since the events of her last mission she never frowns, smiles and barely even reacts to anything that happens around the ship. When I asked her what happened she simply shook her head and walked away. It was only through her mission log and that I learned that Nathan died.

And it was only an hour I ago that she told me that she was planning to leave, transferring to another ship to become a solo operative.

"Yes Percy, I'm serious when I said that." She replies, her voice empty, devoid of any emotions. "Now I need to finish loading my things on the bird."

My sister lowers her head and walks past me. I reach forward and grab her wrist. She tries to wrench her arm free but I hold her firmly. "This is about Nathan." I say, more sure about this than I was about everything, but she clearly wasn't going to talk about it willingly.

"So what if it is?" She retorts, calm but with a dangerous edge to her voice. One that told me to watch how far I'm going to push her.

I gesture for her to sit on my bed beside me. "What happened back there was not your fault. Neither of you knew about the trap." I saw in the kindest voice I can muster, gently stroking her arm.

Persephone growls angrily and rips her arm free. In a split second her anger was flowing out completely. "How was it not my fault! He was out there and I was the one trapped inside, yet somehow I'm the one who's still alive. Tell me Percy how that is not my fault?"

 _Alright, I can be dangerous too._ "How about the fact that he made his own decision." I remind her quietly.

"And why did he make that decision?" She shouts, stepping forward and shoving her face up to mine, spittle flying all over my face. "You think he just made that decision because he didn't value his life? I don't want people to die for me."

"So what do you plan to do? Just abandon everyone who cares about you? Your team?" I say, cold as steel. My anger was boiling inside me, screaming to get out but I keep it in check. "People die Persephone, its war. So you're just going to shut out everyone who doesn't from your life? Hows that honoring his memory?"

"I'm not doing this for myself Percy!" My sister retorts, for the first time I notice the tears slipping down her cheek as she talks. "I am honoring his memory, I'm making sure not another person has to die needlessly for me."

"Persephone." I say much more quietly. I feel my anger ebbing away, now quickly being replaced by sympathy. I place my hand around her and pull her into a tight hug. "People aren't dying needlessly for you. I wasn't there so I don't know what was going on and I will probably never fully know, but I am sure of this, Nathan didn't just die needlessly. He died because he wants you to live, so please don't throw that away by shutting us all of."

To my surprise Persephone returns my hug and buries her head into my shoulder, her tears dripping onto my shirt sleeve. "Percy please," She sniffles, her voice cracking when she speaks. "I-I'm just not sure what I'm doing now, I need you trust me."

I hold her tightly, patting her back awkwardly. My stomach tightens around my chest. My head is telling me to stop her, but my heart says something really different. "Alright." I blurt out, holding her gently. "If you need to go, then go."

She lingers around me for a few more moments before finally pulling away. Persephone scans my face for any signs of anger, but wipes tears for her eyes. "Thank you." My sister says, picking up her suitcase and beginning to walk out.

"Sis." I call after as she leaves. "I'll miss you."

For the first time I see that old Persephone smile. It was small and full of sadness, but now it means the world for me to see it. "I'll miss you too Percy."

"Just promise me you'll write." I say, allowing myself a small smile.

"I will." She says and vanishes down the halls. I roll on my bed and sigh heavily, closing my eyes and letting my mind drift away as I shut my eyes.

* * *

For the next couple days things seem to have died down. The number of missions were steadily decreasing and they turned from retaking cities and blowing up ships to raiding supply caches or sabotaging outposts.

Me and the other Spartans didn't even participate in any of them. For the most part I was happy with that change. It gave me plenty of time think about everything that was happening. It felt so different with Persephone gone, less lively and more empty.

I didn't see much from the rest of Crusader, but I knew they all were hit just as hard as I was, both Sam and Andrew were probably mourning in their own way. I didn't come out of my room to eat or train, I barely went to sleep and when I do it was never peaceful, I just sat on my bed and kept thinking. A loud knock got my out of my musings. "Hello?" Sam's voice calls from the outside. "Percy are you there?"

"No I'm not." I shout back, rubbing my eyes as they start to get blurry. How long have I been staring at this wall?

"Alright then." She replies and continues knocking. I let her keep going, deciding that she'll tire herself out soon enough and just go. But she keeps on going, keeping it up for five more minutes. Growling, I pull my pillow around my ears to try and drown the noise out to no avail.

"Shut up!" I yell.

"I thought no one was here?" She says in a sing-song voice.

Growling in frustration I throw my pillow aside and climb to my feet, rubbing my eyes. I stumble to the door and glare at Sam who had an innocent smile on her face. "Hello there."

"What do you want Sam?" I demand, rubbing the side of my head.

"To invite you to lunch of course." She says, extending one hand out for me to hold. _She can't be serious, can she._

"I'm not hungry." I lie, turning and shutting the door again. Sam's foot came up and wedges itself between the door.

She raises an eyebrow in amusement. "You, not hungry? Well now I've heard everything."

I roll my eyes. "Alright fine if I go with you will you leave me alone?" I ask, my voice full of exasperation. Sam smirks and nods her head.

I sigh in defeat and pull the door open. Sam smiles and takes me by the hand, leading me down the mess hall. She was wearing dark sweatpants a white T-shirt and sneakers. She notices my gaze and smirks. "You like what you see?"

"No, I just always thought that you sleep in your armor." I say, allowing myself a small smile.

"Actually I do, I just thought I'd wear something nice." She says, stopping to smooth her pants of any wrinkles before continuing to walk.

"Really? Sweatpants is something nice?" I question, chuckling and pressing the elevator button.

Sam simply shrugs as the elevator bell rings and she steps inside. I follow her in and press button to take us to the mess hall. The two of us quickly get our food and find a table in a corner. There wasn't a lot of people there, just a handful of marines.

The two of us eat in silence, neither one of us saying a word. "So," Sam says awkwardly after a while. "Do you find the weather satisfying?"

I take a bit from my candy, savoring the sweet and slightly milky taste of the chocolate. "We're in space." I point out, feeling my patience running out. "Tell me why you made me come here."

She sighs and finishes her chocolate, eating the whole bar in a couple of bites before crumpling up the wrapper. "Well you haven't been out of your room in how long and I was concerned about you. I brought you out here to make sure you were ok."

I nod and begin to get up. I place both my hands on the side of my tray and use it to pull myself off the ground. "Well as you can see I'm fine so can I go now?"

"You don't sound very fine." She points out, chewing from her apple. Taking long chews before swallowing. "And I reiterate: you haven't come out of your room for three days."

"Ya and I bet that you haven't done the same." I mutter to her.

Sam blinks in surprise, frowning and looking down at her tray. "I know." She says quietly. I frown and notice how red her eyes were. Puffy from crying.

Something clicks in my mind, this wasn't just about me. Sam was hit just as hard and needed to take her mind off it too. Reluctantly, I sit back down and pat her shoulder. "Get Andrew. I'm sure he could use the company too."

She instantly brightens up and looks at me in surprise. A small smile curves into her face as she nods. "Right, I'm sure he would." With that she get up and runs back into the elevator, vanishing in a flash of lights and metal.

I shake my head and smile, watching her go.

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

I sit back sullenly as the ship's pilot says something from the speaker, though it ends up being garbled by all the static. I don't bother looking up from the ground and sigh, feeling tears underneath my helmet.

Percy smiles brightly in the picture in my hands, her arms draped around me as the two of us posed for the picture. I was smiling broadly, if not slightly annoyed at being pulled away. I was so young back then, so full of life back then.

"Commander, we're arriving at the ship." The pilot says, interrupting my thoughts. He was talking from the pilot's seat, though now the bay doors were open. "Sorry about the radio, I've been meaning to fix it these last couple weeks."

I don't bother replying to him and pull my harness over my head before standing up. It was only when I heard the thump of the landing gear touching the floor did I reach down for my bag and sling it over my shoulder.

The bay doors slide down to reveal the all too familiar sight of a ship shanger. I walk down and is immediately greeted by a robotic voice. "Hello there new recruit. I am F.I.L.I.S., the ship's onboard AI. I welcome you to the Mother of Invention."

I blink twice and look around. "Ummm, thanks?" I reply and look for the exit. The hanger was alive with activity, close to a dozen birds were onboard the ship. Landing crews were busy fixing or refueling them.

"Persephone? You're the new recruit?" A voice gasps in surprise and asks me. I whirl around and see another Spartan standing before me. He was young, maybe only a couple years older than me with wide grey eyes and spiky blonde hair. His armor was standard Spartan armor, though colored grey with yellow pauldrons. A battle rifle was slung across one shoulder.

But I still remember him as the goofy young private who always offered candybar in exchange for a kiss from some of the older girls.

"David." I breath out.

He smiles sheepishly and gestures to his armor. "Uhh ya, but I think its Agent Washington now. I'm supposed to escort you up to the bridge."

David gestures to the exit and walks ahead. I smile and jog after him, smiling as I walks. For a second I seem to forget about Nathan and was just happy to see a friendly face from my past. "So I guess you"re my new squadmate?"

"Ha, I wish." He says, stretching his arms while walking. "Our commanding officer, the Director will assigning you to your units."

"Well how long have you been here?" I ask, looking around. Even compared to the Paris, the Mother of Invention was advanced. Although while the former was for stealth, this was clearly more meant for training and command of crews. There was an impressive array of weapons and ground vehicles in her armories, training decks and a medical bay. Then there were even things not supposed to be in such a ship, hightech laboratories and classrooms.

"A couple weeks, though he hasn't assigned me anywhere yet." He remarks, running his hand across his spotless armor. He pats his chest. "I just got this yesterday. Covers up those scars you and Nathan gave me."

"Oh, ya." I saw, looking away from him.

But David continues to press the point. "Where is he anyway? Are the rest of your squad coming?"

"Nathan is dead." I blurt out. "And the others aren't coming."

He suddenly stops, causing me to bump into him. Slowly he turns around with a frown on his face. "Oh, oh my god I'm so sorry to hear that. Come here," Without warning he grabs me and pulls me into a hug.

"Hey, let me go." I grumble and try to wiggle away from him.

David however just holds me tight with a small smile. "Even Spartans need hugs sometimes."

After a while things start to get awkward and even for David and he lets me go. He pats my back and gestures for us to keep going. "Sorry about that." He says.

"No." I reply. "It actually felt kind of nice. Thank you."

He chuckles and rubs the back of his head. "Oh well that's good to hear."

Neither of us say anything else for the rest of the trip. He just activates a door and wordlessly nods to me. I enter the bridge and head up to the command station.

A man was standing there with his back turned away from me and facing the viewport. He had neatly trimmed ebony hair that was slicked back and I notice the arm of his glasses hanging from his ear. He wore a standard naval uniform empty of any medals or accessories, it didn't even have a rank insignia as far as I can tell.

"Director?" I salute uncertainly.

"Are you Persephone B312?" His thick southern accent ask, carrying over the whole room. He didn't bother to turn around and something about his voice told me that he already knew answer.

Still I nod regardless, not dropping my hand. "Yes sir."

"But that arm down girl, I'm not an officer so there won't be any need to salute to me." He says. "Also you will refer to me as the Director from now on."

I drop my arm, thankful as it was starting to get sore. "Yes Director, um may I ask what I am to do here?"

"You will be serving in a new unit called Project Freelancer. This is a highly elite unit similar to your former division, though our target are the Insurrectionists who are attacking humanities border. Do you understand."

"Yes sir."

The Director seems satisfied with my answer and turns his attention back to the viewport. "Good, now Counselor please step forward." A bald African-American man makes his way past the bridge, clutching a data tablet. He inclines his head slightly in a greeting.

"This is the Counselor, he will be assisting me in running this division. He will also be in charge of answering any questions you may have."

"That is correct." The man's voice was calm and smooth. "Now I'm sure you must be tired after a long journey. Agent Washington will show you to your quarters. Your briefing and team assignment will be given tomorrow at 0:800."

I was about to salute but remember what the Director told me and keep my hand down. He was already returning to his data pad while the Director wasn't even paying attention.

Slowly I begin to back away towards the door. David was still outside when I left. "So what did I miss?"

Quickly I run down everything that he told me as we walk. He lets out a long whistle. "Damn, even I haven't gotten my team assignment yet. Spartans gets all the good stuff."

"Ya, like augmentations that sting like a bitch and getting beaten up at the marines." I give him a playful punch on the shoulder smiling a little bit.

"Um, do I need to lift up my armor and show the scars you gave me?" Wash remarks, his hands reaching his armor.

I chuckle and smack his hands away. "Ya, sorry about that." I reply.

"Well look at you winning over the new girl already with your charm." Someone says, at the corner of my eye I see a figure darting behind me with almost feline grace. It was another Spartan. This was with brown armor and with a bulkier set of armor along with a modified helmet that includes a breathing mask and shook proof padding. I'm guessing explosive ordnance disposal based on the equipment.

Her helmet rests at the crook of her arm, this reveals a pale face, a piercing pair of blue eyes and long dark hair tied back into ponytail.

David gives her a lopsided grin, waving at her. He pats me on the back, causing me to stumble forward. "Hey there Connie, nah she's just an old friend."

I offer my hand out to her. "Hey there, I'm Persephone."

She takes my hand and grasps it tightly, shaking it. "I'm Connie, though you can call me CT."

"Nice to meet you." I give her small smile and nodding my head.

"I'm about to take Persephone to her quarters." David says.

A mischievous smile dances across Connie's face. "Oh I see, already wanting to have some alone time with your 'old friend.' Hmmm." She giggles playfully.

The former marines face burns bright red and he waves his hands. I feel a blush form on my face as I look away shyly. "Oh god its nothing like that! I'm just showing her around."

Connie throws her head back and laughs, smacking him on the back. "Oh come on Wash I'm just kidding, lighten up a bit." She smirks at me. "You too kid, don't be so uptight. Would you mind if I walk with you."

David shrugs gestures for her to join us, after a while CT was proving to be far better company. I was quickly taking a liking to her, she was a bit on the snarky side, kind of like Sam but I like her regardless.

"Here we are." David says, gesturing to the metal door behind him.

I look at the door and grip my duffel bag in hand. "Thanks guys."

"So I'll walk you to the briefing tomorrow?" David smiles and opens the door open with a loud smack.

"Of course, after breakfast." I add and wave both of them goodnight before heading back to his room.


	18. Chapter 18

**Persephone's POV**

"Persephone, do you see anything on your end?" Washingtons voices whispers through my helmet radio. I climb up slowly from the bottom of the docks, shaking off the moss and dirt off my legs with as I kick up.

I rise carefully as not to make a noise until the top half of my helmet was above the water. I lift up my battle rifle next and peer through the scope. The four guards who should have been watching the sector were all seated around a table and playing cards, their older MA3 rifles were left at their feet.

But aside from the worryingly increasing number of empty beer bottles at their side everything was normal. "Clear."

"You CT?" Wash asks our third member.

During my mission briefing the director had surprisingly put the three of us together as the team for this mission. To investigate the Insurrectionist outpost here and await their scheduled delivery.

"CT? Connie is everything alright?" Wash ask again, the worry creeping up in his voice.

After another second she replies. I could have sworn I heard Wash sigh in relief. "I'm here, but there's a large number of rebels gathering in my position."

"Acknowledged." I say, shutting my radio there and diving back down. The water was a turning an odd green color and was practically overrun with moss. I was grateful that my armor filtered out all the water and has an oxygen storage for an hour, though it weighed me down as I swim across the harbor to CT's position.

She was positioned near the hanger, crouching behind some munitions crates fifteen meters away from the nearest landing pad. I jog up to her and she raises her pistol in surprise. Once she sees me, CT puts her gun away and almost seems annoyed that I scared her. "Alright where are these soldiers you're talking about?"

The brown armored agent points inside one of the bays with its doors open. Dozens of soldiers stood in attention, rigid and with their weapons held ready for anything. A stark contrast to the guards I just saw. "They look like they're waiting for something."

"Ya, but what?" Wash adds, adjusting the scopes of his battle rifle. He looks around the sky and suddenly freezes. "Wait, I see something. Two Falcons and a single Pelican approaching from the east."

Me and CT turn to where Wash was pointing and spot the Pelican first, descending from the clouds with a falcon on either side, escorting the gunship with machine guns bristling on the sides.

The three of us step backwards and hide in the shadows as the bird lands, its Falcon escort moving upwards and flying away, their job done. "Get ready." CT says, pressing his back against a crate and peering occasionally as she gets ready to charge.

Me and Wash head to both sides of her and raise our rifles, peering through our viewfinders. I take aim at the bay doors as the rebel soldiers organize themselves in two lines between the dropships. My fingers slips to the guns trigger as the door begins to open, expecting to see the rebel leader. "What do you see?" CT asks quietly.

I slowly lift my head in surprise, my finger leaving the trigger as I do a double take. This can't be right, there had to be some mistake. If the Director was expecting a weapons deal or a rebel leader arriving, he would be sorely disappointed.

Instead what I see is a Pelican filled to the brim with ragged refugees. They looked bone thin with sunken eyes and in worn out clothes. "Its people. Refugees."

"What?" Wash gasps in surprise and lowers his rifle, quickly turning back to the crate just as one rebel glances around. "Are you sure?"

"Ya. I'm sure." I say squatting down and shaking my head. This can't be right, why would these rebels taking in refugees. Hostages maybe? No, I quickly shake my head. Its doubtful the UNSC or even their families know if they're alive.

As unlikely as it seemed, a small part of my heart wanted it to be the case. It would make it far easier to kill them if they were. "I'm going to take a closer look." I say, before either of them could protest I dart forward, moving in between crates as I listen in to what the rebels say.

"Get these people some food!" A voice booms from the dropship. I freeze and feel my mouth open to form an 'o' as someone else emerges from the ship. This definitely wasn't a refugee or a normal soldier. He had the standard ODST armor with a red trim and a red chestplate. His helmet was resting on the crock of his arm and this reveals a dark mohawk. This was one of their leaders

He leaps off the ship and points to a handful of rebels who quickly ran off and grabs some crates. They open pry open the crates to reveal MREs. Quickly they begin to distributing the food around to grateful refugees.

Other soldiers came carrying blankets and medical equipment. The Leader walks around the hanger, checking up on the people and talking with his soldiers. "Make sure they have room in the barracks." I hear him say to one of his soldiers. "Give those who are wounded priority. More ships should be arriving soon."

The soldier salutes and runs off.

I make my way back to CT and Wash. They both pull me behind some crates just as some rebels walk past us. "Are you crazy?" Wash hisses quietly and throws his hands up in the air in exasperation. "You could have gotten caught."

I open my mouth to protest but CT raises her hands and signals us to be quiet. For her part she didn't seem particularly concerned about nearly the rebels nearly discovering us. Instead she continues to look forward and observe the Insurrectionists. "Did you at least learn something about their plans?"

"The only thing I know is that there are more people coming in. It doesn't look like these people aren't taking them as hostages." I reply and shrugs.

"Ya, that's not how the Insurrectionists rolled." CT says, making it sound more like a fact and leaving no room for argument.

Wash however, doesn't take the hint. "Ya, it's actually just bombing cities and murdering innocents." There was an odd anger in his voice that I almost never saw in him. He only got this way when he was walking about the Insurrection. Did he lose someone to the war.

"And what do you mean by that?" CT asks, her voice dropping and keeping a tight grip on her pistol.

Wash again doesn't seem deterred and holds his hands up defensively. "Well I'm just pointing out the truth. A lot of people died because of them. Why are you so protective of these terrorists?"

"Guys is this the time to be arguing?" I snap and look over the top of the boxes, holding onto the top of the crates. I watch as the rebel leader begins walking out of the hanger. I glance at CT with a frown. "Your call boss, so what do you want to do?"

"Go after him. I'll keep observing." She says and turns back to the rebel forces, leaving no more room for discussion.

I not and silently creep out of the facility, slinging my battle rifle and whipping my pistol out. It seems that none of the soldiers were paying too much attention to us and were too busy with the refugees.

The leader was walking down the docks with his back turned on us. I move up to him and level my pistol at the back of my head, stopping about a foot away from him. "Freeze."

He stops dead in his tracks and holds his hands up without a fight. It was almost like the leader didn't care. Something tingles at the back of my mind but I force it down and keep my gun ready. "Don't move." I warn him, nudging the two tomahawks strapped to his back. "Now drop your weapons."

I stiffen and prepares to shoot as he reaches for his weapons. Thankfully he seems to cooperate and drops his axes to the ground. "All of them."

Honestly I didn't know if he has anything else, but it seems to get him moving. The leader seems slightly annoyed and reaches for a couple of hidden knives and a pistol, throwing them on the ground. "Good. Now march." I saw pressing my gun to his back.

"Right, easy on that gun." He says, though the amusement was clear on his face. _Alright I'll humor you_. Seemed to be what be was saying.

A growl forms on my lips as I force him to march down the line of hangers and into a dark alley. Once I was sure that we were alone, I spin him around and force him to look at me by lifting my M6 up to his chin. "Good, now start talking. What are you doing with these people?"

"What do you mean?" The leader's voice hardens as his eyebrows knit together in anger. "We're just rescuing the people that your government forgot."

I press the weapon closer to his neck, so hard that it starts to dig into his skin. A growl escapes my throat as I think back to my rescue. "You're a damned liar. I know the UNSC cares about its people. They saved my life when I was a little." I don't know where those last words came from but now they were out there.

The leaders brows briefly rise, but a nasty smile forms on his lips. "And what colony do you come from?"

"New Acropolis." I reply, seeing no more reason to hide it. "They sent Spartans to rescue the colonists."

'Of course they would." He retorts, not missing a beat. "New Acropolis has over a million inhabitants and has a lucrative trading industry, but what about those far flung planets with ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand of people that barely gets by on its own? Do you think your precious government cares enough to send Spartans?"

My words dry on my lips. I want nothing more than to say yes and prove him wrong, but the words come out. A piece of doubt tugs at my mind, telling me different. "Well, if you don't believe me I'll understand." The leader's voice was not oddly thick, and it almost sounds like he was pitying me. "But ask any of the people there."

I step closer, feeling my hands tremble as they struggle to keep hold of the gun. If only Nathan was here. He always knew what to do. _He's not and now you're just a lone wolf._ My mind screams at me as I squash any sympathy I have. "That may be the case, but you are still coming with me."

"Sorry to disappoint you girl, but I'm not." Suddenly I felt his leg slip behind mine and next thing I know I was falling on the ground and land with a hard thud. The leader gives me a mocking salute before sprinting away,

Grunting in anger and pain, I roll to my feet and fire my pistol at him. He whirls around and raises a tomahawk which he somehow picked up from the ground. I brace myself and prepare to catch the weapon when he throws it, but another sound behind me causes me to jump to the side.

Machine gun fires blazes and cuts through the area I was standing just a few seconds before. The shadow of a falcon flies overhead and hoovers in the end of the alley. The leader takes this as his oppertunity to run. I fire my pistol feebly at him, managing to score a hit on his leg and causing him to stumble.

The leader growls whirls around, firing his gun wildly before throwing his tomahawk in my direction. I duck as it bounces off the crate. He hobbles onto the falcon and gets behind a machine gun turret.

"Persephone!" Wash shuts from behind, running across the other end of the alley nearly tripping as assault rifle whizzes around him. "We've got company. Woah!" He blunders beside when he notices the falcon.

Two rebel soldiers come after David, firing their rifles in full auto and spraying the alleyway with bullets. I pull him behind me and fire my rifle, dropping one Innie. The other smartly backs away and takes cover.

"I got the falcon." Wash says, taking aim and firing a single burst. Miraculously it scores a hit on the cockpit and causes the falcon to spin out of control. "Let's go."

He grabs my hand and leads me out of the alley. "Wheres CT?" I yell, gunning down several rebels who came running. A figure leaps from the rooftops, doing a spin and firing, expertly taking out all but two soldiers.

The men blink in surprise as she lands in between them and faster than they can react, rains down a flurry of blows on them. "I'm here."

CT picks up a gun from one of the rebels and lays down covering fire as we run. "What happened? Did you find anything?"

"No." I say quietly, still thinking about what the leader said.

"Then let's get the fuck out of here." She says, looking away.

* * *

 **CT's POV**

"So, how many men did you lose Drake?" I ask, biting my lip and dreading the answer he would give.

"Thirty," Came the polite, but curt answer. "plus that falcon that your friend shoot up is too badly damaged to fly. Please tell me you at least have good news on your end."

I nod, glancing at the doorway and making sure that no one was there. "Yes," I say leaning closer. "do you remember that girl who stopped you earlier today?"

He chuckles and runs his hand across his hair, fixing his mohawk. "Ya of course. The one who tried to capture me at gunpoint. What about her?"

I smile and stare at the screen, wishing that he really was right in front of me. I touch his face on the screen. "I think Persephone can he brought to our side."

This caught drake by surprise and I take a little pleasure from the way he raises his eyebrows and the confused face that follows. "Oh really now? What makes you say that?"

"When I talked to her after we got back to the Mother of Invention, she didn't seem to harbor any hatred towards you. In fact she even seems a bit more sympathetic. I think we should continue to observe her."

"That is good news." Drake nods in agreement. "And what about the other on?"

I make a face and shakes my head. "Wash…" My voice trails of. "He's a good person, but I think he's still too angry about losing his family to the Insurrection to be won over. He's someone we should watch out for.

"So he's no good to us." Drake concludes with a shake of his head. "Alright, thanks for all of this Connie."

"Its nothing." I smile back, preparing to shut down the screen.

"Connie." He says, stopping me and placing a hand on the screen. "We'll be together soon."

I nod placing my hand as well. Before I could say anything I hear a voice at the end of the hallway. "CT?"

I quickly shut down the computer, making a mental not to apologize to Drake later. Wash enters the room, dressed in sweatpants and a grey T-shirt. "I heard voices here." He says.

"Mind your own business." I snap, more sharply than I intended. When I saw the hurt expression on his face I instantly feel guilty. "Sorry, I just had a long day. Have you seen Persephone?"

"Umm ya I think I saw her heading to the go training." He replies quietly, pointing towards the direction of the training hall.

"Thanks. Sorry again for snapping at you." I say, giving him a quick hug and jogging off.

I find her standing in the middle of the arena, raising her fists and stands in a combat stance, hitting the green targets that rapidly spin around her. She moves quickly, darting and launching rapid kicks and punches. Each time she hits one it turns red.

In a matter seconds each target has turned red and vanishes.

She pants and wipes sweat from her brow. "Again." The Spartan growls and rolls her shoulders. Persephone begins hitting again, and repeats her practice.

"Hey." I call out, making my way towards the hall. "Mind if I join you?"

Persephone shrugs and pants for air as she finishes the second round. "I don't see why not."

"Thanks." I smile and march forward, activating the glowing targets on my side. I quickly move to hitting them rapidly. "You know, you did pretty well back there."

She stops moving and turns, regarding me with an uncertain gaze. "How? I let the rebel get away and probably screwed up the mission. And now I'm on the 41th on the Freelancer leaderboard."

I wave my hand dismissively at the leaderboard. "First of, that board complete crap and does nothing but divide us." My voice softens when I speak again. "Besides, you wouldn't have been able to catch him. He would have gotten away, besides. That wasn't our mission. Our mission was to figure out what happened. And you did that."

"I suppose." She mutters quietly.

"Listen Persephone. Whatever happened there, we're still a team and nothing will ever change that."

To my surprise, Persephone suddenly steps back and turns away. "I'm sorry, but I can't be a part of a team right now. I just need to be alone." Without another word she turns and walks away.


	19. Chapter 19

**Percy's POV**

I grip the handrail of the Pelican, grunting as I struggle to maintain balance as the Pelican shudders.

Bianca glanced up from the pilot's seat back at me. She smiles apologetically. Her new ODST armor suited her. The only thing missing was her helmet which lay beside her chair. This lets her ebony hair flow freely down to her shoulders.

"What the hell is going on there?" I growl, stumbling back just as the Pelican shook again, this time much bigger. I head to the crew chief's seat.

"Shade turrets. Those AA types." Bianca replies and swerves the ship suddenly. From the viewport I see a flurry of plasma fly overhead, missing the ship by a thread. "Nico get does weapons online."

Sitting in the copilot seat, Bianca's younger brother grins as he releases the safeties of the dropships chain guns and fires on the turrets. On the computer screen, a Grunt tries to leaps out of the turret but was blown to bits by a flurry of bullets.

"Missiles armed." He says and fires a pair of rockets into the ground. The ground gives was and collapses to reveal a secret tunnel.

I lean in closer and press my lip into a thin line. I begin to get up from my seat and begin to walk out. "That's our lab."

"Goodluck guys," Nico calls after me. He winks and gives me a two-fingered salute. I give him a sad smile and leave. The two of them were so close, always laughing and smiling despite the harsh life they had to grow up in. They remind me of Persephone and me. I didn't even know how many years have passed since I last saw her. I wonder where she is now?

I quickly shake my head aside and try to get those thoughts outside of my mind. I look into the troop bay and nod to the rest of my team. "Are you guys ready?"

Four green acknowledgment lights were my response. Andrew nods at me, hefting up his flamethrower. Sam winks and grins at two newest recruits were a bit quieter. Franklin and Vincent.

Franklin was our infiltration specialist, good with small arms and stealth, Vincent was the team sharpshooter with a sniper or a DMR. But neither of them could really replace Persephone or Nathan. We've gone through over half a dozen people, these two were just the most recent.

For years we've continued on as our mission as Headhunters, Athena had taken us back as our commanding officer and led us into Covenant space on sabotage missions, doing whatever we could to delay the Covenant. Now we were preparing to strike at a Covenant research lab.

The Pelican stabilizes and its VTOL adjust to hovers directly above the opening. I fire a cable onto the floor of the Pelican and throw the rest of the rope down into the hole. "Then let's go!" I shout, holding onto the rope and sliding down.

Above me, I hear the whoosh of the others sliding down. I land onto the metallic ground and quickly pull out my rifle, sweeping it around for any Covenant. There was none oddly enough. In fact, the Pelicans attacks seem to have done more damage as the power seems to have been knocked out as the lights overhead seem to flicker several times. I was in a tunnel that was barely large enough for three of us to walk abreast.

The rest of Crusader drops down all around me, weapons ready. I nudge my finger forward in one direction and sprint towards the door at the end. Andrew begins to hack into the Covenant battle net and in a few seconds, the door slides open.

A lone grunt standing guard jumps back in surprise at the sight of a squad of Spartans and raises his plasma pistol with a trembling hand. Behind me, Sam cocks her shotgun eagerly and takes aim. Suddenly other grunts begin to stir and form up behind the first guard. We all quickly open fire, crouching down and advancing forward. The Grunts hide behind the sides of the door, firing their pistols at us, yet they were swiftly wiped out.

We quickly storm through the room and give each grunt another bullet to the head. I pull out the holographic map that the spies have provided us. It was a rough idea of what the laboratory looked like. It was a series of octagonal rooms and long hallways. The main lab was the rightmost side in one of the larger rooms. Now they were a few hallways back in the right.

Footsteps began to sound from the hallway leading towards the lab. "Hide!" I hiss and wave my hands to gesture them away. The others quickly back away and hide as a trio of Elite Minors appear. They wort and hiss among themselves and begin walking towards our room.

"I'm in the position, begin diversionary bombardment," I whisper softly to my radio.

"Understood." Bianca replies and I hear the hum of engines and the firing of missiles. The whole lab shakes and causes the Elite to cause run towards the direction where the missiles struck.

"Nows our chance," I say, raising my rifles and rushing forward, keeping the safety of just in case someone spots us. We were able to reach the lab without serious incident. Aside from a couple sleepy Jackals, there were no guards stationed there. A few well placed DMR rounds courtesy of Vincent was enough to deal with them.

From what I hear on the radio, Bianca and the other Pelicans aren't planning on leaving and continue to fire down at the base. Because of that most of the Covenant security force was relegated to deal with them.

I press my back against the door and arm my underslung grenade launcher, holding my fist up for the others to see. I raise three fingers and begin to count them down as Andrew gets this door open. This time the place was heavily guarded by a contingent of Grunts, Jackals, and Elites.

I fire a pair of smoke grenades in before any can even raise a gun. An echo of hacks and coughs and a burst of fire came from the smoke. Andrew pushed us all behind him and unleashed his flamethrower, burning any Covenant who got too close and lets the rest of us follow up.

I and Sam charge in, she drives her shotgun-bayonet into the gut of the nearest and shoves him back while I spray fire all across the room, pinning down a trio of grunts who try to shoot at me. Franklin darts from table to table, firing his pistol at stray Covenant.

My shields begin to drain as one Elite focuses his plasma rifle fire at me. Blue bolts rapidly pound against my armor and force me back. The alien grins and advances, his crimson marking him as a veteran.

I wait until he gets close before ramming my gun forward at his throat and firing. The Elite's shields fail at such close range with so many bullets and fall in a mad dance. I scan the room for my next enemy, rifle ready but I lower it realizing the rest of Crusader had taken all of the Covenant.

We quickly go through the tables in the lab, full of strange beakers and liquids, most of which were miraculously untouched by the battle. Franklin and Andrew approach one of the computers and quickly begins to hack into it, looking through the files while the rest of us stand guard. Sam picks up a dead grunt with her bayonet and lifts him up.

"Oh no he killed Flipyap," Sam says in her best grunt impression.

Vincent rolls his eyes and continues moving around the table, inspecting various things there. It was all business with him, it serves during missions but it makes him hard to work with outside. "Or was it Yapflip?" I chuckle and wave another Grunt.

"He's a demon." Sam waves the grunts arms in the air before throwing him to the ground.

I make some choking noises with the grunt I'm holding and let his body flop down. Sam giggles pull her shotgun out. "Honestly I love those little guys. It kind of makes me feel bad that we have to kill so many of them."

"Alright how about the next time a Grunt runs from us in a fight we let him get away," I suggest playfully, grinning a bit.

"Deal," Sam says, patting the dead grunts head. "See that? Looks like Flipyaps gonna live another day?"

Andrew raises his fist in the air triumphantly. "I got it!" He holds up a flash drive and even with his helmet I can tell he's grinning from ear to ear. "We have the files about this stuff."

"Percy." Bianca's voice suddenly came through the COMs in an open channel. "We need you and your team out of there now. The Generals pretty insistent."

I frown and speak to my helmet radio. "But why?"

"I don't know. She said if you don't have the files yet then leave it. Burn everything and run."

Everyone froze, staring at each other in confusion. This wasn't good at all. General Athena was never one to disregard the information. If she was telling us to forget about gathering intelligence, then something was really wrong. "Alright." I make a fist and smack it against my palm. "Orders are orders. Let's get out of here."

I turn to Andrew who grunts and lifts up his flamethrower. That was ordered enough for the rest of us to get back and clear out of the room. He takes aim at the table and a great gout of flames shoots out, igniting the beakers and causing them to burst into shards.

He waves his weapon around, spreading the fiery destruction to the rest of the room. From outside I feel myself sweating in my armor from the heat. The systems coolant systems quickly adjust to the increasing temperature.

Andrew stood in the center, the whole room ablaze as he finishes lighting up the laboratory. He drops his flamethrower to his side and admires his handiwork for a few moments before joining us outside. "Good, now let's get out of here."

* * *

"General with all due respect, are you sure about what you are saying?" I ask carefully, trying to keep a straight face unlike the rest of Crusader whose expressions were that of shock. After we got back from our mission Athena hid insisted that we get some rest before briefing us. She ordered us into the cryosleep while the ship was in slip space.

By the time we woke up she reveals that we've been asleep for almost three weeks. We were going to exit slip space in a couple of hours according to her.

Even the bridge crew were in a state unnerving. Their eyes dart around nervously as if they expect to come under attack at any minute, even though we were in slip space. Others just stare at the General, listening to what she might have to say.

That was another thing that was odd. General Athena always liked to maintain an air of strict discipline. It was odd to see her allowing such behavior. The General herself sighs and looks as if what she would say next would be painful. "Reach has been invaded. All available military assets are being recalled to help defend the planet."

Even after saying it three times it still sounds alien. Reach. Humanities greatest stronghold was being invaded? Impossible. Just by looking at her I could tell the General hasn't taken the news well either.

Years under her command and she still look exactly as she did when I first met her, but now she looks like she's just aged ten years. There was a noticeable worry line on her forehead as she returned to her command chair.

"Which team was the one who identified the Covenant?" I asked, racking my brain and trying to recall what the intelligence file I was given when I woke up.

"Noble team squad leader," Athena replies. "They had initially found a small force that captured a relay station. At first, they believed it was just a small contingent that stumbled onto Reach, but a small invasion fleet was soon spotted. Though most of the fleet was eventually destroyed, more ships continued to pour in. Ships by the hundreds."

My blood turns to ice as I nearly lose balance and fall to the ground if Sam didn't catch me and pull me to my feet. Judging from the look of pure worry on her face I could tell she understood as well what was happening. Persephone was in Noble team after she left I followed her records, noting where she transferred and most recently was noble team. But I never told her about that.

"And what will happen once we reach the planet General?" Vincent asks, keeping a strong posture and meeting her eye.

Athena turns to him, looking much like the General I remember. Hard, fearless, and determined. "When we get there, the Paris will join the rest of the fleet to defend Reach against the Covenant while you will kill every alien on our soil."

The rest of us growl in agreement and salute to her.

By now Athena has turned back to the rest of the crew and begins to give out orders to the crewmen. "Lieutenant, arm every missile and nuke this ship has. Keep our MAC gun and autocannons on standby. Once we exit slip space we will need everything ready."

The officers nod, cowed by Athena's strict voice nod and turn back to their stations. They type away on their computers, making their calculations and preparing for the upcoming battle.

"We're exiting slip space, ma'am." A tech reports, despite his efforts he couldn't quite keep his teeth from chattering nervously.

She grunts in acknowledgment as the Paris seems to slow down to normal speed. In an instant, we were back in normal space. I quickly avert my eyes and recoil back as a thousand lights flash right in front of me. My armor's visor starts to darken though my eyes take a moment to adjust.

When I look again I realize that light was cannon fire. Hundreds of ships were dueling around us, cannons lighting up the dark space as lasers flash from Covenant ships. Dear god's Covenant fleet.

I've seen their fleets on recordings when they invaded planets. They were normally a few dozen in size, maybe a hundred or so for major colonies. But I don't think I've ever seen an armada this big. From whales like assault carriers, sleek battlecruisers and nimble frigates and corvettes.

Meanwhile, the UNSC ships fire and struggle to fight them off. Barely a hundred vessels stood in between Covenant and Reach. Of those hundred, only a little more than a dozen were of cruiser or carrier class. I wince and clench my fist as a destroyer was struck in the gut by a beam of plasma. She jerks to the side, her cannons still firing and now was a clean miss.

The only thing they did have were twenty orbital defense platforms. Each one of this ODPs was armed with a single super MAC. One of the only UNSC weapons capable of penetrating the Covenant ships shields.

Even as I recall that a station fires, briefly lighting the sector like fireworks in a night sky. The shell punches through a cruiser. It wasn't a direct hit by hits one of its fins, blowing it to the side where it collides with a second ship. Both burst into a great gout of flames.

"Target the nearest ship!" Athena shouts and runs to the viewport as her officers find a firing solution. "

Target sighted. Enemy frigate on the port side." A lieutenant says as a MAC round rips from Paris's main cannon and slams into the ship's side. The frigate was too busy dueling with another ship to respond properly. Its shields sputter and die as it turns towards us, only to receive a flurry of missiles.

Before it can launch an attack, the ship it was previously fighting strikes it in the back with its MAC gun. This time the shot guts it from top to bottom. The frigates engines still move, powering the ship forward even after the bow has broken off from aft.

"Target another ship!" Athena commands, but the order dies in her lips at a dozen ODPs fire once again and a dozen Covenant ships explode. The rest of the Covenant fleet begins to back away, their ships turning around and retreating. A small group ships remain behind; four battlecruisers and about a dozen destroyers.

The remaining UNSC ships use this to their advantage, firing upon the badly outnumbered rearguard. Dozens of MAC rounds and missiles pummel them in all directions. One battlecruiser has explosions blossoming on her bow as missiles rain down on it till finally, it breaks apart, leaving a hole in their formation.

"Now is our chance to hit the fleet. Hurry before they close it." Athena shouts urgently. Her weapons officer nods and begins typing down a firing solution. The rest of the fleet seems to have gotten the same idea as almost as if a few dozen giant matchsticks were lit at once, several flashes sail towards the exposed fleet, I even spot a couple of nukes flying.

A further ten Covenant were destroyed in that salvo, but the rest were now out of range including a handful of destroyers from the rearguard. None of the UNSC ships made any move to pursue the Covenant. By the looks of the haggard fleet, it looks like they barely survived and none were about to try and chase after the much larger fleet.

The holo table suddenly springs to life, a tiny man in an admiral uniform pops up and salutes to Athena. "Nice of you to make it to our party general. We could use your help."

She simply nods in return. "It's good to be back sir. How bad is the situation Stanforth?"

I do a double take and look again at the holo table once again, for the first time realizing who I really was looking at. Michael Stanforth, hero of Sigma Octavius IV and a member of the UNSC's security council. Even if he was just a hologram I have an urge to snap a salute.

He rubs the back of his head and sighs heavily. "It's not good general. Close to fifty ships destroyed and four ODPs. And on top of that, a whole lot of their drop ship was able to get through our defenses. By our estimates, there are tens of thousands of Covenant soldiers planetside."

"What's the situation planetside," Athena asks. "What troops do we have there."

"We've mobilized the entire army garrison plus several divisions reinforcements to fight them back but we're being hit hard. A couple of Spartan fireteams have also been deployed all over the planet in order to assist in driving the Covenant back. Civilian casualties have also been extreme with also a small fraction of the population having been evacuated."

"Well lucky for you I have a Spartan fireteam onboard with me," Athena replies. "The Paris can also assist in evacuations. Which city do you need it in?"

"No city, the evac ships can handle that. No, I have a more important task for you." Stanforth says. "I need the Paris to evacuate Verdun base and all the officers still there. The Paris has stealth capabilities that could allow it to sneak into the base without the enemy ships seeing it until your right on top of them. We need your Spartans to get them out."

Athena nods and snaps a salute. "Consider it done."

The admiral returns the salute, his lips in a grim line. With that his hologram vanishes. The general turns to me, and nods. "Have your team ready to move out."

A tiny smirk tugs at my lips. Finally. "Well, you heard him. Let's go!"

"Everyone ready?" I asked, crouching down and priming a flashbang grenade into my assault rifles underslung launcher. Around me, my team nods and keeps their weapons trained at the hatch at their feet. Alongside them was a squad of ODSTs from Paris's crew sent to assist in the mission.

Seeing the determined expression they have, I lift the hatch up and fire the grenades before leaping in. The handful of guards were too busy stumbling and trying clear their eyes to fight me properly. Bianca drops beside me and advances forward, firing her assault rifle and easily dodging the clumsy shoots the guard's fire.

"It's all clear," I shout, watching Bianca drop the empty clip from her rifle and replace it with a fresh one. The others drop down around us. "Thanks for the assist."

She gives me and thumbs up and we look around. Although Verdun appears to be a normal building inside and out, majority of its facilities were underground. The room we were in was made of old concrete that already had moss growing from it.

"This is Fireteam Whisky we need assistance. Repeat Covenant is breaking through we need backup now!" A male voice cries out urgently through my radio. The sound of gunfire was choppy yet still very audible in the background.

I reach into my radio. "Copy that Fireteam Whisky what is your position?"

"The barracks. Who is this?" The voice questions.

"This is Spartan-B313. My team is en route to your position."

"A Spartan?" The man says in disbelief. "Thank God."

My HUB places tiny red arrows to the location of the barracks. It was one floor up and one hundred fifty meters northeast. "Come on guys let's move. These Marines could use some help."

"Our mission was to get the officer's." Vincent protests and points to the direction of the ops center.

"Yes, that may be true, but those Marines need help. And maybe they could help us get the officers out of there?" I counter. "Did you consider that Vincent?"

He growls and backs off a step. "No, sir. But what do you plan on doing? Leave the officers alone and unprotected."

I step closer, slinging my gun in my back and cracking my knuckles. MY anger boils inside me as I resist the urge to break Vincent's nose. This wasn't the first time he questioned my orders.

The men around me tense, Crusader was used to seeing this but the ODST aren't known to tolerate insubordination.

Still, he had a point. I lower my fist and turn to the rest of my squad. "Franklin, you're our infiltrator. Get to the ops center and secure it. Take some ODSTs with you. The rest of you come with me."

Thankfully, Franklin obeys and motions for two men to follow him up. I shove my shoulder against Vincent and move forward. He growls angrily behind my back but doesn't otherwise protest.

The rest of the underground area was a cavern of caves, hallways, and tunnels. By the time we arrive at the barracks, an entire platoon of Covenant was trying to storm the facility. By the looks of it, they had taken half the barracks now.

Thankfully there were still Marines still fighting against the Covenant which had now forced itself from the outside of the base to is interior. Still, the fighting was still confined to areas such as the barracks and hanger. "General you better send some evac ships. There's still a lot of men trapped in this base."

A sergeant yells some orders as he crouches down to avoid sharpened projectiles from a Brutes spike gun. He was surrounded by a handful of men who had taken a defensive position behind some tables and were firing their rifles to try to keep the Brutes back. They were lead by a single chieftain who was hanging back and watching the battle unfold with a trio of Ultras.

We quickly joined in the fight, adding our own weapons to the battle. I move from cover to cover, firing my entire clip at full auto and was rewarded by the sight of a Brute dropping to the ground.

Eventually, I find myself next to the sergeant who gives me a quick salute. "Welcome to the party, sir."

"Glad to be here. What's the status?"

"With all due respect sir, what the hell does it look like?" The man snaps, a look of irritation crossing his face. "The Brutes and their buddies overrun half the barracks and taken some men prisoner behind their lines."

"Grenade!" Somebody calls out as I spot one of the Ultras raising his fist and waving a glowing wand. It looks a small cudgel studded with spikes. The marines leap aside as they watch sight of a spike grenade.

It slams into the bed which I was crouching behind and embeds itself into the mattress. I curse to do the only thing that comes to mind, I place my foot against the bed frame and kicks it forward with all my strength.

The bed slides forward, its metal frame scraping against the floor and causing sparks to fly. Most of the Covenant leap out of the way but as the grenade explodes it sends spikes and feathers to those nearest to it.

For the moment the advance was stalled, giving all the Marines a chance to regroup further behind the lines. The chieftain growls and barks several orders and points forward. The Jackals quickly take their position in front Covenant, their shields raised over themselves similar of a phalanx formation.

With the added protection they begin to advance once again. "Everyone! Target the Brutes behind the line."

Several men nod in acknowledgment as they begin to readjust their aim, targeting the ape-like aliens that said behind. Behind their shield wall, the damage was negligible. Maybe only one or two of their number were killed. But that wasn't the point if this attack.

One captain snarls in anger, leaping above the Jackals and charges forward. The rest of his back was less tactful and just rush forward, knocking aside the buzzard headed aliens or outright killing them.

Now that they were exposed, they made easy targets for the rest of the marines. "Let's take out those Jackals next. Andrew!"

The big Spartan nods and crouches down, getting into a firing position. I open fire my frag grenades. A pair of explosions blossoms and briefly fill the room with a bright light. When things clear up the center was taken out, dead and injured Jackals littered the ground, their gore messily left everywhere.

Andrew began to fire his shotgun under his flamethrower and fires at the disorganized survivors. "Charge!" I shout, moving forward and letting my rifle go full auto. I feel Sam and the sergeant at my side. Their soldiers going closely behind.

The chieftain growls and raises his hammer, growling angrily in defiance.


	20. Chapter 20

**Percy's POV**

Sam darts out from the crate, ducking under the chieftains hammer as he tries to swing it at her head. She fires her shotgun at point blank range. The hulking Brute doesn't even flinch when the rounds hit his armor.

He growls and sizes us up. The rest of his pack was dead around him, leaving him alone to face all of the marines.

The Chieftain moves from foot to foot and pulls out a shard clipped to his belt. It was long and narrow with yellow lights. The Chieftain snorts one last time before activating it. Sam's next shot bounces off his armor and scatters harmlessly on the ground. The Brute chuckles and drops the useless shard as electricity moves through his armor.

"He invincible!" I warn, halting mid charge. I recognize the effects of that armor enhancement in simulations. "For the next ten seconds, everything we throw at him won't do jack shit."

Thankfully the rest of the marines and Crusader stop in their tracks and slowly starts to backpedal as the Brute grins. He charges forward, swinging his hammer around in mad arcs. One marine was too slow and takes the hammer in the chest, slamming against the chest and splatters blood all over the wall.

He locks eyes with my next and drops on all fours, barrelling forward like a berserk rhino. I barely manage to sidestep it and fire my rifle as his invincibility begins to flicker. Still, it barely phases him as the Brute turns around. He steps forward before his body stiffens and drops to the ground.

Behind him was Vincent with his DMR and a cold glare. Though I'm not sure whether that was directed at me or the Brute. "That looks like everyone." The sergeant remarks, twirling his pistol and putting into his belt. "Now come on, you're looking for your officers? I and my men can take you to them."

He gives his men a few minutes to catch his breath and picks up a rifle from dead marines. Unfortunately, there were plenty of those around. Most of the Marines weren't prepared when the base was attacked and barely had time to roll out in their uniform before the Brutes hit the barracks and killed anyone who moved.

"This way." The sergeant shouts, raising his rifle and marches forward, his marines all around them while the four Crusaders form a ring around them. More Brute was waiting in the tunnels and halls for us. In one particular hallway, four Brutes and an entire fire team of Grunts quickly get into firing position when they see us.

"Get behind me!" I shout, dropping to the ground and raising my bubble shield as a hail of plasma and superheated spikes bound on me.

Andrew nods behind me, removing a canister of kerosene from his flamethrower and slides it towards the covenant guarding this bottleneck. The Brutes stare at it confusion as if surprised that it didn't blow up, but the Grunts gasp in surprise and try to kick it away. I slide the barrel of my gun past the shield and fire a single grenade.

The whole hall erupts in flames, sending debris everywhere but my shield holds and blocks us from most of the chunks. My shield dissipates shortly after. "Percy are you there?" Franklin's voice suddenly crackles in.

I reach into my radio and activate it. "Ya, I'm here. What's your status?"

"Not good," Franklin replies, I can hear his pistol firing. "I and the other officers have barricaded ourselves in the office, but the Brutes are trying to break through."

"Hang on, we're on the way," I assure him and turn my radio off. I can already feel Vincent's eyes boring into me as he was about to speak up. "Yes, Vincent? You seem like you have something to say?"

He growls, seemingly irritated at my calmness. "Yes, our mission is now in jeopardy. If you had listened to me and gone to the ops center first then maybe we could be done with it by now."

"And do what?" I ask darkly. Was Vincent that callous to abandon other soldiers? Or more importantly, was he that tackles that he would do this right in front of the soldiers they just rescued. "Abandon the men in the barracks."

The other men were now around me, all eyes on Vincent as they watch him expectantly for his response. Vincent flushes and looks away. "No, of course not."

"Then keep quiet and follow your Captain's orders." Sam suddenly shouts, her voice cracking like a whip. She moves forward and glares at him, pointing a finger at his face. "Now let's get this mission done."

Vincent and I nod in agreement, turning our backs but something tells me that this was far from over. The sergeant clears his throat and tries to break the awkward tension. "Come on, the way is here." He crouches down and starts to walk up the stairs.

I nod and gesture for them to follow. Upstairs was a large tunnel complex to be used for vehicles. The burning shells of a number of Warthog, Mongoose and even a couple of Scorpion tanks were all over the tunnels. Squads of Brutes, Grunts, and Jackals were still patrolling the area, picking through rubble for any Marines still there.

One Jackal hisses and points his beam rifle in our direction. We all scatter just as its lance flies over my shoulder and hits the wall. The Brutes roar and charge towards us, their Grunts and Jackals close by.

Within the first few seconds, almost a dozen was dead on the ground. I dive roll forward to a Warthog and swivel around, firing my rifle one handed as a Brute turns the corner. He lets out a growl before dropping to the ground.

I leap over the jeep and fire a quick burst towards a pair of Grunts who were trying to take cover behind a Mongoose. Marine screams and runs around as a trio of Jackals were biting at his legs. He collapses on the ground and goes still. Another Marine growls and advances forward, firing at the Jackals.

I focus on the battle and continue to fight. Slowly soldier by soldier is cut down in the battle. By the end maybe about a third of our numbers were lost. The sergeant looks barely even winded as he continues to jog forward, even as his marines lag behind.

"This way. We're almost there." He shouts, kicking a doorway open. The rest of us follow him, keeping our weapons ready as the sound of weapons firing continues to get louder.

He goes through the hallways, taking a few twists and turns before suddenly jerking his body back. The sergeant points towards the hallway and raises a hand towards his lips.

I crouch beside him and glance at the hall, an entire squad of Brute bodyguards was crowding around the steel reinforced door, firing their plasma rifles at it to no avail. A loud grunt causes them to move as another Brute pushes his way past. This one wore golden armor and a giant V shaped helmet.

"A War Chieftain." The sergeant mutters and swears profusely.

"A what?" Andrew asks.

"See that Brute in gold armor? That's their highest ranked warrior. He's probably commanding this whole operation." The sergeant explains quickly. "And those apes around him are his bodyguards."

As we speak, the Chieftain drops the plasma cannon he was carrying and reached for the hammer on his back. He flips it so the blade end was facing the door and smashes it with all his strength. Sparks fly as the hammer bites deep into the frame. The Brute grunts as he strains to pull the blade free, growling and ripping the door off his hinges.

He throws the door aside and is immediately pelted with bullets. He grunts and slams his hammer again, knocking anything blocking his way aside and marches in. The chieftain disappears into the room, though the gunfire persists. There was a scream as the ODST goes flying, his body slamming against the hall.

I look around at the four guards standing at the door. Unlike the other Brutes, we fought a while ago, these were some seriously though looking armor with shielding. It will take too long to get past them. By that time the Chieftain would be done with all the guards.

"Cover me," I say, moving forward without thinking and without waiting for the Marines response. Still, I hear their assault rifles firing behind me as I run forward. The Brutes growl and raise their plasma rifles in order to return fire.

I slide down to the ground, one bodyguard levels his rifle and prepares to fire. I jerk my legs up, kicking him in the knees. The alien doubles over in pain and collapses on the ground behind me.

I leap to my feet and head inside, readying my rifle. The officers were still alive thankfully. He spots two of them crouching behind a desk while brandishing pistols. The chieftain seems to want to take out the guards first. Franklin and the other guard were backing away slowly while the Brute grins and raises his hammer.

The hammer comes down and takes the marine by the blade, his body tumbling over desks and splattering blood everywhere. Franklin growls and fires his pistol. The puny gun barely even scratches his shields. Before he can do anything else, he's thrown back by a vicious backhand.

I pull out a combat knife and sprint at him. He was about to turn around when I leap forward and wrap my legs around his chest and begin to stab my blade repeatedly into the chink between his neck and shoulder.

Finally, my knife finds flesh and sinks hilt deep. The brute thrashes around, ferally snarling in agony and shakes me off. He paws at the knife still lodged in his neck, his big meaty hands clumsily grasping at the hilt before finally throwing the tiny weapon away.

He lifts up his plasma cannon and begins to open fire. I drop to the ground and activate my drop shield. No sooner is my shield in place that the Brute charges again, passing through the shield and tackling me to the ground.

The chieftain snarls and punches me in the stomach. Air whooshes out of me as his fist comes again on my face. Blinding pain fills my vision as I walk the line between consciousness and unconsciousness.

I can barely fix my attention towards the chieftain as he rises up and prepares to swing the final blow. My eyes begin to drift away. But the blow never comes. Franklin leaps on his back, shouting as he fires his pistol directly at him. He pulls something out from his belt and throws it to the ground.

"Percy run!" I can hear him shouting, though it seems so far away. I dazedly try to stand, barely managing to squirm around as I feel something wrap around my leg. The next thing I know I'm sliding on the ground as a soft boom goes off.

I lose consciousness for a couple seconds, but when I wake up again, the room was full of my team and the Marines. Franklin was applying first aid to me. I try to sit up but he gently pushes me down. "Woah there boss, I wouldn't move so much if I were you." He frowns with concern and shakes his head. "You got hit pretty hard."

"The Brute?" I ask, rubbing my head. My body was entirely numb save for an aching pain in the back of my head like I was trampled by the entire squad.

In response, Sam jerks her head to the side were a giant crack in the wall was, and was smeared in blood and bits of flesh. "Took a while for him to finally fall off."

"And the officers?" I ask, trying to stand and look around only to for Franklin to push me down again. Thankfully I don't need to move again as the officers step into my sight. There were three of them, judging by their uniforms they were two colonels and a Lieutenant-General.

"We're here." The General says nods appreciatively. He reaches down and offers his hand to me. "Thanks to you Spartans."

I take his hand and climb to my feet, shakily and unsteadily, but eventually, I steady my balance. "Still, I think it's best if we get out of here."

"Agreed." The General says. He checks the safety on his pistol and makes sure it's off before walking over to a control panel and pulling out the AI data chip and keeping it into his belt. He taps the command code and a countdown begins to sound the alarm. From ten minutes it slowly begins to go down.

He and his officers form up with the rest of the Marines. We form a loose circle with the officers in the middle, the marines forming a ring around them and finally, us Spartans all around them.

With that in order, we begin to move down the halls. There were still plenty of Covenant troops still around as we run the past, thankfully they were more interested in getting out of there than fighting against us and continue to run.

"Biance we could use a pickup," I say to my radio, using my HUD to mark the nearest hanger and sending the coordinates to the Pelican. "This way," I say, rushing up some steps, two at a time. At this point, the time left was down to 4:30.

I was the first to reach up to the stairs, advancing up as a squad of Brutes with jump backs begin to fly out of the hanger, though the last of them notice us and begin to fire. I drop to the ground and return fire with my assault rifle. "Take cover," I shout as the Marines scatter around.

Vincent manages to fire his sniper rifle, whilst running between crates and manages to hit one Brute jump pack and sends him spiraling out of control. The Brutes heavy maulers rip through armor and flesh. One Marine takes a shot to the chest, screaming as he tumbles off the landing pad.

We form a protective circle around the officers, blocking any shots with their own body. Finally, a shadow overshadows the landing pad as a Pelican appears in the landing pad. Its chain gun moves and fires towards the nearest Brute, blowing dozens of holes into him.

The remaining Brutes watch in horror and quickly fly away. The Pelican doors open and Bianca steps out with an assault rifle ready. "Get in." She shouts, waving her arm frantically.

Not wasting another moment, our group quickly files into the drop ship. Bianca rushes to the pilot seat and takes off. After a few minutes, the thing seems to calm down. From the tiny gap between the ramp and ceiling, I watch as the base gets smaller and smaller and eventually vanishes from view.

I head to the copilot's seat and pick up the Pelicans radio. "Hello, General Athena?"

There was a brief fuzzy crackling but soon the General's voice comes, albeit barely audible. "Spartan? How did your mission go?"

I resist the urge to salute to the radio. "We have VIPs and our awaiting further instructions."

"Your instructions?" Athena's voice was incredulous. "Your instructions are to get back to the Paris as fast as you can. We're leaving the system."

I stutter my response, she can't possibly be serious. "But what about the battle?"

"Battles over Spartan, Reach has fallen."

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

The Warthog bounces against the uneven ground as I hit the gas pedal, forcing the jeep to go faster. I didn't know where I was going, but at this point, I couldn't care less. All that matters now is getting as far away as possible from the Covenant.

They killed the rest of Noble team, the second team I had since Crusader, yet almost as close to me as they once were. Now I'm was all that's left, of my team, and maybe if this entire planet.

I blink back the tears starting to form in my eyes and shake my head viciously. No, there will be time for that later. I grip the wheel until my knuckles start to hurt.

The planet looks so much bigger without anyone else, the only traces of humanity I see are the vehicle tracks that I'm following. All heading north for some reason. I have no illusions of finding anyone else in this rock. No one might have told me, but it's pretty clear Reach was already lost. At least there I might be able to find some food gear to resupply and then.

Then what?

I haven't thought of the last part of my plan yet. One thing was clear though, it's going involve a lot of killing Covenant.

Behind me, the vicious sounds of Banshees are all too clear. I glance towards the rear view mirror and suddenly swerve to the right as a barrage of plasma fire sends dust flying beside me. I curse, wishing I had a gunner to use the mounted LAAG behind me, but now all I can do is swerve and try to avoid getting shot.

A fresh barrage sends dirt crashing over my face. I shield myself with my arm and curse again. I try to throw them off by taking a sharp turn in one direction, but looking from the rearview mirror I can see that's not the case.

One of the Banshees fires again, this time it was a great green bolt of plasma. Its aim was off and lands right behind me. Although my armor quickly cools to adjust the temperature, I briefly feel a wave of heat on my back.

Their shots are getting more accurate. I reach for my pistol and fire at the nearest fighter. The bullets strike the bulbous head of the Banshee, though aside from causing a few dents I don't see much effect. Still, the lead fighter begins to veer off leaving only two of the alien craft.

I'm about to turn my attention towards the second Banshee when the others plasma round hits my Warthog, the next thing I remember is that my jeep is tumbling through the air. I roll around the ground as the jeep tumbles off a ravine.

I crawl on all fours, cursing silently as the blood roars into my eyes. My legs nearly give out the first time I move, collapsing underneath my weight and forcing me to my knees.

Before they circle around I pull out my DMR. My vision was still kind of blurry, but I begin to fire at the ship when it turns around to me. I must have hit something important as smoke starts to trail from the Banshee and it begins to lose altitude.

The third vanishes as well, but a louder sound takes its place as a Phantom appears from the clouds. It's searchlights lock onto me, though oddly enough none of its plasma cannons fire.

I must have hit something important as the Banshee begins to trail smoke and plummet from the sky. The other vanishes from my sight. In its place a Phantom appears from the clouds, its searchlights moving around until they focus on me.

Oddly enough its plasma cannons don't open up and blow me to oblivion. Instead, it unloads a squad of Covenant soldiers. The lead warrior warts to his companions and fires his plasma rifle in steady bursts. I growl, feeling the plasma splash against my armor. I return with my DMR, scoring a few hits on the alien's shoulders and causing him to stagger back.

The Grunts around him squeak and ignite grenades in their hands, waddling forward in crazy suicidal charges. I change targets and begin taking the tiny aliens out. Most of the little aliens drop quickly enough, but one persistent little guy continues to crawl forward even after I hit him in the leg.

He raises his grenade and screams. Before I can take him out. The grenade goes off in a brilliant flashing light. My body unceremoniously hits the water below the cliffside and quickly sinks.

It was oddly comforting, feeling the waves push and pull on me. My armor will protect from water getting and the pressure. My mind begins to slip, staring endlessly at the rippling vision.

I make out the vague outlines of Covenant soldiers by the ravine, firing their plasma weapons uselessly at the water. Then the dark blob of the Phantom moves overhead, its searchlights waving around the water, though its lights don't quite reach me. Its cannons turn slowly, changing and firing at the water. It begins to boil rapidly, even down here I feel the water's temperature beginning to warm.

No, no I won't die like this. I plead weakly in my mind. The water turns violent, sending waves everywhere. My eyes flutter close as I force myself to move upright and began paddling towards the surface.

Something starts to push inside me as if encouraging me to keep moving closer. The top grows closer and closer, bubbling from the plasma fire. I close my eyes and prepare to jump, I have only a couple seconds to avoid the plasma cannons from turning me to ask and get to shore. With any luck, my shields will hold until then.

If only I could take out that Phantom. When I break the surface, the water explodes from under me like a geyser, I was thrown aside to the ground. The Phantom doesn't fare any better as the torrent slams against its side, spinning out of control and crashing into the ground.

I chuckled dryly, seeing the smoke in the distance before losing consciousness.

* * *

 **Zur's POV**

For a moment, none of my warriors were able to move. They all stare at the immobile Spartan collapsed on the ground, expecting her to get up and move again. But there she remains.

Finally, I draw my sword and slide down the cliffside. I cautiously and kneel down. Out cold just like I suspect. "Well, how is she?" To growls and slides down beside me.

"Alive, but unconscious."

He nods, his shoulders sagging with relief. "Better that way."

I have to agree with him there. I still can't fully believe what this demon did. The water almost seems like it was obeying her command, rising when she did, striking the Phantom in a great torrent. "Let's take her back to the ship."

But the answers will come eventually. After years of requests, I have finally gotten the approval to capture a demon alive for their armor. Now it was only time to get them. I pick her up by the back of the neck and drag her towards the others.


	21. Chapter 21

**Persephone's POV**

I wake up with a start, looking around and leaping to my feet. Only to stumble back as I feel an invisible force pulling me down. I groan, feeling my stomach churning like it's about to spit up. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and try to calm down.

The first thing I notice is that my HUD is gone. Looking down I see my entire suit is gone, leaving me only with my black undersuit. I try to move my arms but something keeps pulling them back to their original position like a magnet.

There were strange rings hovering around my wrists, while not physically touching them, they still seem to be holding me in place. Two more were on my ankles as well. These left me suspended a few feet in the air.

In front of me were two Elite guards with their pikes crossed. "Where am I?" I try to shout to one of them, though my voice comes out in a hoarse rasp. One guards inclines his head slightly in my direction before growling and turning away. I keep pulling at my bonds, biting my lip in frustration as they refuse to give way.

"Your strategy would be most ineffectual young one," A soft voice says in front of me. "But nevertheless if you insist on continuing I will not stop you."

When I glance up I hardly believe my eyes. Standing there was the same Prophet me and Nathan tried killing all those years ago. He was dressed in a fine red silk robe and sipping from a wine glass. Behind him was a black armored Elite. He watches me cautiously, keeping one hand on his energy sword.

I wish the would come closer so I can spit on them.

"As for where you are," The Prophet drawls. "you are on my ship. You are now my prisoner and your armor has been taken for study."

"Piss off."

I go ahead and try spitting on him, the glob landing squarely at his feet. The big Elite bristles and steps forward but the long necked alien raises his hand up. "Calm friend. She can not possibly harm us in this state."

He reaches for a plasma pistol hanging on his belt and points it at me. "You have the choice of cooperating and making this as painless as possible by cooperating." A large overcharge bolt begins to form. "Or you can continue to resist. Your choice."

My next remark dies in my throat. I want nothing more than to try and spit at him again, to curse both of them as monsters. But the rational part of my head know how foolish that would be, and how it will do nothing more than get me killed. It is also telling me that there's nothing I can do.

Instead I simply bow my head in defeat and nod.

The Prophet smirks at my submission and puts his plasma pistol away, the lights on the weapon powering down. "Good, I am glad that we understand each other." He wheels his chair around and begins to float away. "Take our guest to her cell."

The Elite regards me with disquiet. He draws his sword and holds it up to my neck. I feel the heat from the weapon sizzling against my skin. "Do not attempt anything foolish demon." He growls nods towards the guards who deactivate my cuffs.

I deep to a crouch as I hit the ground. A hand grabs me by the collar of my shirt and hoists me to my feet. "March." The Elite commands, nudging me forward.

Slowly I begin to walk, feeling the barrel of a Plasma Rifle being pressed against the small of my back with every step. As we walk, the other Covenant on the ship regard me either with fear or anger. Those in the latter category seem to almost want me to act up as of to give them an excuse to attack me. I take a look at my guard. He looks a lot younger than I thought he did, and there was something about his eyes. Was it fear?

Finally we reach the holding areas. I count a dozen Jackals armed with Carbines patrolling the area, and if the shimmering air was any clue at least four stealth Elites. The big Elite pushes me in and activates the energy barrier.

I lay my hand on it instinctively to inspect its strength. Quickly my hand starts to sting and I pull away. My escort seems more than eager to leave. He nods towards the guards before marching out of the brig.

I turn around and look around my cell. It was nothing more than an empty bow. They hadn't even bothered to put a bed or cot in. Despair begins to creep up on me as I lay down and feel tears sting my eyes. Now I'm more lonely than ever.

* * *

 **Zur's POV**

I nod to the approaching Sangheili Special Operations operative as he emerges from the ship's brig. "Did the demon give you any problem Tos?" I asks cautiously, trying to keep the nervousness from my voice. I hadn't noticed it earlier, but now that I have gotten a good look at her I now see the demon was the one who tried to kill the Prophet all those years ago.

I'm could hardly recognize her. Back then she was a trained killing machine. In her armor she was a faceless monster right out of a warrior's nightmare. Yet now, she was just a human, and a rather young human at that. The demon looks to be barely into womanhood scared and defeated.

"She did not resist." Was all he says as he puts his plasma rifle. "I was surprised as well, though I still question why Elegance bothers to keep her alive. She's dangerous like that."

I keep silence and shrug. I already know well enough why? Because he wishes to keep her as a slave, she was female, attractive and still breathing. That was all the Prophet requires for his servers. Now he simply hopes that the rest of the Covenant High Council would talk some sense to Elegance.

"Come with me to the laboratory. I wish to inspect her armor." I say, changing the topic and beginning to make my way in that direction. Tos follows shortly and nods. Part of me could hardly believe that we have the demon's armor. It was a great prize to take and could be immensely useful in the war effort.

The who ship shudders suddenly and nearly causes the two of them to fall over. It must be entering slipspace now. The ship was to journey towards the space station High Charity in order to transport the armor to the research facilities there.

The door slides open and the two enter. The various segments of the demon's armor was laid out all over the table while a group of scientists look over it including a Huragok whose tentacles quickly go over the armor and inspects them before setting them down.

Tos gestures for the Huragok and makes several hand gestures which the floating alien gladly returns. I pick up the demons helmet and examines it. "Have the found out anything new about their armor?"

One of the researchers, a lanky Sangheili in an engineering uniform lifts up his goggles from his eyes and nods. "Yes this actually quite fascinating." He says and nods, lifting up a few pieces of it. "For such a primitive race the humans have developed a fine piece of machinery. Shall I give you my report sir?"

I nod and gesture for him to continue. "Well as you may already know, their armor is far superior to our own in more than a few ways including better shields and protection. They are also able to enhance their wearers strength and agility."

The second part came as a surprise. This was an interesting discovery. He then starts to think back to the girl in her prison cell. Was she only powerful because of her armor? Was that the only thing that made them dangerous.

"But, there is several flaws that come with it." He continues. "Such armor obviously requires a user with both physical and mental ability, far above the capabilities of a normal human being. Unfortunately it seems that its requirements are far beyond that of a normal Elite. That is why I believe those demons are so rare on a battlefield, because they are specially augmented to use the armor."

I nod, feeling his disappointment grow. If the armor wasn't usable to normal soldiers then its uses were limited. More research would be necessary then. "Perhaps our Prelates then could use it once we have reverse engineered it."

"Such a waste if it will see such limited use." A voice says from the door. The others turn around to see the Prophet floating towards them. Alongside him were two of his servants, scantily clad as always. I catch several of the scientists lingering their stares as they watch the girls.

Me and Tos bow down to see her. "Greetings your excellency. What brings you here?"

He smiles and takes a sip from his glass and smiles. "I simply wish to see our spoils from the battle. The High Council will be most pleased with it Commander. Perhaps there might even be a promotion in for you."

"Promotion?" I question in surprise, not at the idea of being promoted. There was no doubt that whoever would bring this armor will be rewarded handsomely, but at the fact that Elegance would not simply claim all the credit. Over the years of service under him, the one thing I learned is that Elegance cared for no one else but himself and his servants.

"Aye. A warrior of your skill has earned it all for your successes. With my influence I can help you as well to guarantee that." Elegance assures me. "Though I suppose that might not be possible if I were to be removed from the council due to complications because of reports from my slave."

I understand the underlying implication of his words. Don't tell anyone about the demon and I will give you a promotion. I hesitate in answering. I shouldn't care about the demon, she was nothing to me aside from a monster that has killed too many friends. Yet for some reason I can't seem to bring myself to leave her like this. I feel shamer burning across my chest for even considering it.

"I do not think I can accept that honor your excellency." I bow my head respectfully, looking around at the other Sangheili watching. He would not act with so many witnesses around to see.

At least I hope not.

The Prophet curls his lip, frowning in anger but does not reply anymore. "I see. Well that is quite disappointing. Very well then, I must take my leave."

With that, the Prophet turns his chair around and disappears.

* * *

"We are approaching the High Charities hanger." The helmsman reports, listing the ship to one side towards the docking boom waiting to clamp the ship onto place.

I nod and turn to the Prophet who watches impassively. At his side were his two honor guards and surprisingly of all, the demon. She changed out of her bodysuit and was now wearing a robe just as skimpy as the ones Elegance's servants wore. Though unlike them she clearly was not enjoying it.

She regards us all with empty eyes, as if killing us was simply too taxing for her. Though I suppose a lethargic demon is better than a violent one. "The booms have us in place." The helmsman continues.

Finally the ship stops as the others begin to power down its systems. The Prophet claps his hands and nods. "Thank you friends." He smiles and turns away, he looks at me and smiles, as if our previous conversation never happened.

The communicator on my forearm buzzes softly as another message was sent. I quickly clamp my hand over it and look around to make sure that no one else heard it, looking particularly to Elegance who seems more concerned with his robes. "I must depart now. Shipmaster!"

An Elite in gold armor steps forward and bows. The Shipmaster was a large, though rather portly Sangheili. "Have your crew continuing running maintenance on the ship before giving them their leave. We may need to leave soon."

He places a fist on his chest. "It will be done my lord."

Elegance nods and leaves the bridge. Once he was gone the captain begins to bark orders. "All non-essential crew please depart the ship while the rest of the crew continue running maintenance. That includes you and your men Spec Ops." He says turning to me with a look of disdain. "You and your warriors may leave now."

Although the Shipmaster probably means for this to be a slight, but I was more than happy to leave. I have other things to do anyway. "Yes Commander." I nod and begin heading out, heading first to the cargo bay.

Other Covenant were already starting to file out by the hundreds, only a small skeleton crew would remain for maintenance, the others would most likely visit friends and family or getting some much needed rest.

I stop at the cargo bay where several Unggoy remain. Most were simply napping in corners or taking air from Infusion tanks. I make my way through them and spot a trio of the aliens. They were holding small rocks in their hands. They were throwing them at slugs crawling from the wall or moving through small gaps.

Zlif was among them, cheering as his rock bounces against one of the slugs which falls dead on the ground. His two companions cheer and clap. They were part of his lance and fairly competent ones. "Zlif." I bark loudly, causing his companions to jump in surprise, even causing some of the Unggoy napping to wake up.

The Unggoy turns to me and tries to make a sloppy salute. I gesture for him to move. "Come with me, I need you to accompany me to an errand. Take your companions as well."

The Major nods eagerly and quickly falls into step, his two companions however don't seem as eager and seem reluctant to leave their game. I sigh inwardly. "I need some extra assistants for this task."

Slowly they begin to waddle after me and I start to head down the ships. In truth he could use the extra security. Taking Elites would have been quite suspicious and would draw him attention, Jackals would sell him out without a moment's hesitation. However no one would even bat an eyelash at the sight of a few Grunts. People will probably just see them as servants.

But for Unggoy these were fairly competent ones. As he walks, he runs into the fifty or so Special Operations Elites and Unggoy marching down the ship. The High Charity was a sight to behold. Its main structure was the massive chunk of the Prophets homeworld Janjur Qom that was ripped off when the Prophets fled on the legendary Forerunner Dreadnaught.

The rest of the city was built around and ontop of it, turning the literal hunk of rock into a bustling city. Once I'm sure that there was no one else listening aside from my Unggoy I check my communicator for its message. It was the location of the meeting place for my contact.

I turn on my heel and move towards the right direction, keeping my pace brisk but casual looking while the Unggoy struggle to keep up. The four of us cut through the crowds all over the lower districts and make our way to a nearby tavern.

The Brute bartender bare his teeth at the sight of me but doesn't do anything aside from continuing to wipe down the bar. I scan the bar finding the usual array of merchants and of duty guards until I spot an odd sight. Another Sangheili standing by the curtains of one of the boothes. Even in a tunic and pants there was no mistaking he was a guard by his posture.

As I approach him, the guard reaches for a knife hanging on his belt. "The sweetest fruits are ripe for the picking." I whisper the password to him. Immediately the guard steps aside and releases grip of his weapon.

He pulls the curtains open to reveal a High Councilor waiting. The Sangheili was lounging behind the couch, reclining on the cushioned seats. In front of him was a wide, yet simple fare of food including grain and meat from thron beasts. He turns to me. "Greetings Commander. Come and sit."

I nod and sit opposite to him, gesturing to his Unggoy and hands them some cash to buy some food and drink. "Come and eat." He gestures to the food and I take a bowl of grain.

I eat quietly for a moment as the Councilor watches me. High Councilor Xeno 'Modun was one of the youngest Sangheili to achieve the rank of Counselor and was a young and energetic figure in the high council. "Congratulations on your capture. Many still do not quite believe what the report said. A demon and her armor."

"Thank your your excellency, but I have some business regarding the demon." I reply and take a drink from the mug of cool water.

Xeno sets his food down and looks at me curiously. "What are you wish to discuss?"

Quickly I raise my hands up. "I fear that I must report the Prophet of Elegance wishes to keep the Demon as his pet, a slave."

The High Councilor stares at me, jaws parting in shock. His eyes suddenly darts outside as if expecting to see the two of them at the door. "This is not good news. This is very troubling."

I frown. Why was he so worried about it. Yes the demon is dangerous, even with her armor she is dangerous and must be disposed of properly. But surely the entire High Charity garrison would be enough. "You seem troubled Councilor."

"I am troubled because I have heard troubling news." He reaches underneath the tables and produces a package wrapped in a cloth. "Open it." He commands.

I reach down and begin to unwrap the cloth, my unease growing more and more until the coverings falls away to reveal a Brute Plasma Rifle. Unlike the original weapons, these were crimson red and had a much higher rate of fire which earned its nickname of blood-hand.

Such barbaric weapons were supposed to be expressly forbidden, but due to their favor among lesser San'Shyuum they were in small numbers. "My spies in the Sacred Promissory have reported that an order of six million units of these weapons has been made." Xeno 'Modun leans in closer and slides the weapon to the edge of the table. "Along with another five million Spike Rifles, ten million Maulers and three million Brute Shots. As far as I know only a handful of others know about these weapons."

The air leaves my body suddenly as I struggle to comprehend such numbers of weapons. How could this have gotten under the noses of the entire council. "The Brutes are planning a coup." I shout a little too loudly causing the guard to peer in questioningly. That had to be the only explanation, they were always jealous of the Sangheili's favor in the Covenant.

Xeno barks a laugh. "No friend, Truth commissioned the weapons. That much I know for certain."

"Truth?" My voice drips with shock. The Prophet of Truth was part of three Hierarchs that ran the Covenant. "Why would he do that?"

The Councilor presses his hands together, looking at the weapon thoughtfully. "Now that is what I do not know. Although I suggest you inform your men to remain alert I will deal with this demon and ensure she is disposed of."

"You seem to have more pressing matters than a single demon." I note.

"Indeed, but it would be best if the Prophets are kept away from such a potential weapon and her armor. If they ever somehow sway the demon to their side." He gulps and doesn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to.

I climb to my feet and bow. "Councilor."

He salutes. "Commander."

With that his guard opens the door and motions for me to go. I grab the rifle and quickly begin covering it. I begin to walk out, slowly motioning for my Unggoy to follow. The seems disappointed at having to rush their meal but nonetheless obey and follow me out.

"What happened commander?" Zlif asks nervously.

"Nothing, I just need you to carry this." I say handing him the Plasma Rifle.

He nods and cradles it between his arms. As far anyone knows, this meeting never happened.


	22. Chapter 22

**Zur's POV**

"Commander." Zlif squeaky voice pipes out suddenly, his voice was full of nervousness. The little alien waddles a step behind me, clutching my plasma rifles in his stubby hands. Behind him the two other Unggoy start to trail behind. "My brothers are having trouble keeping up, and why did we not take the main route to the ship?"

I feel a pang of annoyance and stop so abruptly that Zlif nearly trips over my armored leg. I tap my foot impatiently as I give his two companions a chance to catch up. We cut through the crowds and head towards an alley. "This way." I glance once again at my assistant and sigh. "Because I believe we are being followed."

"Followed?" Zlif asks and looks around. "Followed by who?"

Looking around, I spot a large figure disappearing in the crowds only to reappear briefly once again. "A Jiralhanae to my left."

The Unggoy looks around and tries to spot him. He quickly shrinks back. My two guards draw their pistols, though neither of them seems particularly comfortable holding them. I nod and take the Plasma Rifle from Zlif and checks its charge. "I'll take this. Come let us move quickly."

With that, I turn at my heel and start to move once again. This time the Grunts start to follow with more gusto. The Jiralhanae starts to move again, the glint of steel in his hands was unmistakable. We move through several more alley and crowded areas, but this was one of the more competent warriors of their race as he appears shortly after.

I prepare to move once again when I spot another Jiralhanae ahead of me. He stands just at the mouth of the alley and was trying to look casual as he sniffs some fruit from his bag, though the Brute Shot strapped to his back told me otherwise.

"Prepare to battle, we cannot escape the two of them," I whisper to the Unggoy who whimpers fearfully and ready their weapons. I raise my Plasma Rifle and prepare to charge just as the first Jiralhanae appears behind from behind. He slowly advances and twirls his knife in his hand.

Zlif squeaks and fires an overcharge bolt at him. The big alien stumbles to the ground as the green plasma bolt takes him at the leg. I capitalize on this advantage and rush forward, firing my Plasma Rifle at the second one just as he's readying his Brute Shot. He growls and raises his arms over his face to protect it. The fur on his arms starts to smoke as the plasma singes them.

He manages to squeeze out a shot that goes wide and hits the ground beside me. I quickly dart aside and swing my gun at him like a club. The Brutes head smashes against the wall with a loud crack.

I turn around to my second opponent who's now on the ground as the Grunts fire at him. Zlif turns around and nods grimly to me. I glance around and make sure that no one else saw this. "Quickly, back to the ship before we are spotted." I take off towards the ship with Zlif and his Unggoy at my heels.

It seems that no one else was following after us as no other Jiralhane intercepts us or give us any trouble and soon I find myself back at the ship, the Unggoy panting heavily for air as they join me a few moments after.

The sound of heavy footsteps causes me to jump back and crouch down behind some cover. A small squad of Jiralhanae come marching out from one of the squares and make their way towards the ship.

I hiss and check the battery of my plasma rifle. 94%. It would have to do for now. The dock master stops them by raising his hand. It was a Sangheili carrying a plasma pistol which he keeps on his belt.

The warrior barks something to the Jiralhane who all burst out laughing in response and shake their head. The dockmaster stiffens and has his pistol halfway out of his belt when a brawny captain grabs him by the arm and holds him firm. Growling in protest, the warrior snarls and raises another hand to strike him.

With a speed that belies his size, the warrior flings the dockmaster in the air and slams him hard onto the ground. Even from this far away I hear the sound of his spine snapping. The other warriors laugh among themselves as they make their way inside the ship.

I feel for a grenade in my belt and burst out just as the last Jiralhanae lumbers inside. My aim was true as the explosive latches itself onto the back of the big aliens head. He grunts in surprise as he turns around. The Brutes around him gasp in surprise as the grenade goes off and kills every one of them. "Now!"

My legs quickly cover the distance between my hiding spot and the ship. Rifle ready I squat down and scan the area for any more enemies. "Tos are you there?" I say to my radio. No answer comes even as a heartbeat passes."Tos!"

I briefly consider making my way to the bridge but quickly shake that thought out of my mind. No that would be the first place the Jiralhanae would go. The hangers or gravity lift would be of little use either.

That leaves only one possible area where the other Sangheili could have possibly taken refuge. With that information, I begin to go in the direction opposite the Brute was going.

The Unggoy follow right after me and as we go down the signs of battle more and more prominent. Blood was smeared all over the wall as well was stains from where both parties tried to drag their wounded away. Occasionally we come across a severed hand or something of that nature.

Eventually, we stop at the detention area. All over the door and hallways defenses were set up from energy barriers to tripods for turrets, but no sign of any Sangheili or Jiralhanae.

The doors open and a heartbeat later I feel a dozen guns being pointed at me. I raise my hands up and shout, Zlif and his men throw their weapons down and scream loudly. They raise their hands up just as one Sangheili bellow. "Wait, it's the commander!"

Tos stumbles forward and manages a shaky salute. He was in full armor save for his helmet which was exchanged in favor for a bandage wrapped around his scalp. Around him was a crowd of other Sangheili and Unggoy many were hurriedly dressed and armed.

"What happened? Where is the shipmaster?" I ask, looking around at the brig. I make my way inside and look around. A perimeter was formed at the entrance with turrets set up in a semicircle. But for every warrior I see on his feet with a gun, there are two more bleeding on the ground.

"Dead." One of the warrior says gesturing with his pistol while his other arm hangs uselessly. "A contingent of Brutes came in an hour ago while most of the crew was gone. They claimed that they were taking over the ship. When the Shipmaster protested, the Chieftain smashed him with his hammer and started to purge us from the ship. Since then we were fighting a fighting retreat all the way here."

I press my mandibles together tightly. This didn't look good at all, as far as I can see only a handful of commanders were present along with a rabble of lesser warriors. "Did you receive word from any other ship? Has this happened to our brothers?"

The Minor shakes his head regretfully. "I'm afraid we were out of contact with anyone else here. The first thing they disabled was communications."

"This attack was too well planned for a few Brutes to have orchestrated." One old warrior shouts angrily. The others start to mutter in agreement, their voices start to carry over the room. "We have been betrayed by someone."

"I have information!" I blurt out before I realize what was happening. Quickly I clamp my jaws shut as every Sangheili turns to me.

The old warrior regards me curiously, yet his orange eyes burrow into my skin intently. "What information do you have brother?"

Dozens of pairs of eyes turn and face me. From shouting to silence in the space of a few moments. I feel their collective gaze pushing the information out of me. "I met with a High Councilor earlier. He had information of a large order of Jiralhanae weapons to be built. An order made by the High Prophet of Truth."

"Treachery!" A Sangheili wails.

"This cannot be true." An Unggoy falls to his knees,

"What must we do now?" Tos asks, looking around nervously for any warrior who can answer.

I look around the warriors, none can say that they do not look ready to fight. But even with their superior defensive position, it was only a matter of time before they are overwhelmed by the Jiralhanae. "We must retreat from the ship and meet up with our brothers on the surface. If they are unaware of everything happening here then they will need to be warned. If they are aware then they will need the help."

"But how will we get there? The Brutes control the gravity life and the hanger."

"Then we'll drive them back and take ships to the surface." I pick up an energy sword laying on the ground and wave it in the air. The other warriors look a tad more heartened and start to cry out in agreement. Their voices were ragged but I doubt it will get any better.

"Many of us are too wounded to fight or move quickly. They will be cut down long before we are able to reach the hanger."

I eyeball each Sangheili present, meeting their eyes and shaking my head. "Not unless there is someone to distract them. I will need volunteers to come with me to create a diversion."

Many start to step forward vowing to join me, some too wounded and can barely stand but eventually I manage to select six warriors to accompany me. I look at Tos and place a hand on his shoulder. "Lead these men well. I will see you in the hanger."

The only response he gives is a sharp salute before beginning to lead the larger group out. He begins to move them along the smaller hallways while I and my warriors move down the main area. The Jiralhanae seemed to be attempting to make another go at storming our positions as a group of ten Brutes and Unggoy comes charging out the hallway.

One Sangheili on my side raises his Fuel Rod Gun and fires into their ranks. Several are thrown aside while the rest are swiftly cut down by me and the others.

I sidestep a Jiralhanae clumsy attack and drive my sword into his stomach before moving forward. The halls are now full of life as troops prepare to attack my people's positions. Brutes, Jackals, and Grunts now crowd the area as they were intending to march down.

This also means that none of them were ready for our attack.

In a few brief seconds, all the warriors were too surprised to properly react. A few seconds is all my soldiers need. They quickly start to cut their way through them with sword or fire with their guns.

The Unggoy barely fire a shot before quickly turning around and retreating while their Brute officers bark at them angrily to return. One warrior charges at me with his spike rifle. I raise both my arms over my face to shield themselves from the superheated blades. My shields begin to trickle away before lashing my sword hand out suddenly and taking his head off.

Another Jackal charges an overcharged bolt and prepares to fire. I swat his arm aside and pick the Kig-Yar up by the throat before smashing him against the ground.

I reach into my belt and quickly pull out my plasma rifle, firing at the Brute in front of me. He staggers and allows other warriors to finish him off. Quickly whirling around I search for another enemy, but when I look around there was no one else. My warrior is standing around me and finishing off any of their foes still alive. Two of them were on the ground with them.

"Come now. We must keep going!" I shout and continue start to sprint forward once again. The other warriors nod, though they seem a bit more winded. My heavy strides continue to carry me down the halls until finding myself back at the fancy door for the quarters of the Minister of Elegance. His Sangheili Honor Guards were gone, replaced by Jiralhanae warriors. Both warriors bare their fangs and growl angrily at the right of us. They crouch into a combat stance while readying their staves.

One of the warriors gets overeager and charge forward. He empties his needler at one of the Brutes who blocks most of the crystalline needles with his stave and jabs it into his head. He gasps in surprise and falls on the ground.

I snarl in anger, raising my energy sword up to block his first attack. The second Brute growls and throws his stave aside for his pistol. He whips it out just as I pivot aside and grab the second guard by the back of his neck and shove him forward.

The Maulers rounds burst into his chest and the Brute drops like a stone. Before the other guard can react my warriors drop him with gunfire. "Ready yourselves," I warn and let my shields regenerate. "You do not know how many Brutes there could be inside."

Around me the warriors nod and prepare their weapons I activate the door and burst in. The first thing I notice is his servants, both women were lying face down in a pool of their own blood. I begin to utter a short prayer towards them as I continue to move forward, ripping his gaudy curtains off.

The see through silk comes crashing down from the ceiling. I step over the fabric and wave my sword around. "Elegance! Show yourself you, coward." I bellow, feeling my anger start to boil inside me.

In response, a choking sob came from the side of the bed. I notice for the first time the bodies all over the floor. These ones were of Jiralhanae honor guards, their armor dented in many places. I leap onto the mattress and look over the edge of my sword ready. But my expression darkens as the demon glares back at me. In her hands was a piece of the bed sheets and wrapped around the Prophets throat.

The San' Shyuum's face was bright purple and his eyes look ready to bulge out of their sockets. He reaches forward with a trembling hand, the only thing coming from his lips was a gasping sound similar to a fish.

Slowly, I begin to lower my sword and shake my head at his desperate pleas for help. He makes a sound like a sob as his other hand desperately tries to claw the sheets from his throat but he was hopelessly overpowered. Finally, his hand drops to the ground and his struggling ceases as Elegance drops limply to the ground.

I stare at his corpse for a moment before turning my attention towards the demon. She still wore the skimpy dress that the Minister had given her, though it was stained with blood from the guards. "I'm leaving." She says simply as she looks around the bodies for a weapon.

Around me, the warriors bristle and ready themselves for a fight. Quickly, I raise my hand up and gesture for them to stand down. "Peace friends." I turn back towards the demon as she finished checking a Carbine for any damages. "I will not stop you."

"I know you won't." She replies and begins collecting ammunition. She points towards the dead Jiralhanae. "You have other things to worry about."

A Sangheili Major growls angrily. "You know nothing demon!"

"Nothing?" She suddenly turns around and glares with such intensity as that it could have frozen him over. For a moment a flicker of doubt crosses the Majors face. Steam comes out from the Carbine as she loads a clip in. "I saw those guards come in and butcher the Prophets servants. They were the only ones here who ever had any kindness to me."

"Enough," I shout firmly and raise my hands up in between them. "You may go demon, none of my Sangheili will stop you. Although, it appears we share a common foe."

The demon stops and turns around. Her eyes continue to leer at us dangerously, though there was a bit of intrigue in her eyes as nods for me to continue. "Go on."

"What do you mean Commander?" One warrior demands and glares at her. "You cannot possibly mean to have this creature as an ally."

"I do," I reply curtly. "If it means having her fight the Jiralhanae then perhaps it would be best if she's free."

"Well, she is free right now." The demon points out, trying to keep the annoyance from her voice. Already she was walking past us and heading towards the door. "But you make a good point, fine then Commander. I'll work with you for now."

I nod and quickly move past her, readying my sword. "Excellent, but we had best be going before more Brutes arrive."

With that the rest of my war party start to sprint away from the room back down the hallway we came from, we cut through waves of Jiralhane sent down to stop us. The demon was a nightmare incarnate, easily advancing through hails gunfire and avoiding their attacks before getting in close to unleash her own counter attack.

"Tos are you there?" I shout to the radio and fire my plasma rifle into a crowd of Unggoy. A warrior in a crimson combat harness goes down and causes the rest of his companions to scatter away. "What is your status?"

"We are taking heavy fire commander. The Brutes are putting up a stiff resistance but we are slow,y cutting our way towards the ships." The young Spec Ops warrior replies frantically on his radio.

"Hold on brother we are on our way to you," I reply and cut my radio off. The Jiralhane captain barks at his warriors as he fires his Brute Shot, he points towards the shield wall of Kig-yar starting to form up behind them. The surviving warriors begin to fall back behind them as the Kig-yar begin to advance one again, their plasma pistols charging up a powerful bolt.

I pull out a grenade from my belt and hurl it at the ceiling above them. "Grenades!" I roar as my surviving warriors start to throw their bombs as well. The chain reaction of explosions completely annihilates the shield wall, sending their plasma bolts firing everywhere. When I look around I the grenade wiped out everyone, though aside from the demon none of my men were standing.

I approach one of the warriors whose chest was blackened by the plasma. Gently closing his eyes one final time, I bow my head and give a short prayer. "Rest now brother, and walk towards the Journey."

The demon growls and fires at each body once again to be sure they are dead. "Where is my armor?"

"I will not give you your armor demon, you have already received your freedom," I reply calmly, though a Carbine round drains my shield a fraction. She readies herself for another attack while I tense and ready my plasma rifle.

"I'm not going to ask again hinge head." She takes aim at my chest. "Where is my armor? Or the next thing that goes won't just be your shield."

A growl escapes my lips at her throat. "You do not command me demon. But if you must know it has been taken to the ship's laboratory for study."

She lowers her weapon and nods. "That's all I need to know." With that, the demon turns around and stalks off. "Thank you."

I don't move for a moment, staring at the demon as she walks away and disappears behind one of the doors. My sense soon returns to me and I make my way down towards the hanger.

 **Persephone's POV**

"Wheres the laboratory?" I demand, charging forward and firing my Carbine. The trio of Jackals at the head of the small group quickly go down and whatever courage their Grunt companions have been marshaling suddenly vanishes as they turn and make a break for it.

Dark smile forms on my lips as I jog at them. Grabbing one alien and snapping his neck, while sweeping my leg at the other. "Where's the laboratory!" I shout again and smack my rifle so hard at a Grunt Major that his skull cracks open.

One of the Jackals raises his hands up feebly. He squawks loudly. "Wait, no I can help you."

I finish firing at the surviving Grunts before grabbed the Jackal by the throat and shove him against the bulkhead. The Buzzard headed alien gasps and clawed at my hand desperately. "Take me there."

He jerks his head quickly. I let him go and the alien falls down, gasping for air as he starts to make his way there. I follow after him, examining my clothes and seeing the dress was badly singed and about to fall off. Underneath it, my body was full of cuts and burns from their weapons. I didn't even notice it and shrug them off. It doesn't matter right now.

I wrap my hand around the fabric and rip the skimpy fabric off my body as I run. The Jackal stops suddenly and points his head towards a doorway. He whimpers and smiles nervously. "S-see demon? I kept my promise and took you here."

I smile back and nod. "Indeed. Thank you." Without warning, I grab him by the head and snap his neck. The Jackal didn't even have time to scream before tumbling to the ground.

With that done, I open the door and look around just as a Brute Chieftain bellows angrily and swings his Gravity Hammer at me. I do a somersault back and barely manage to avoid his attack.

He growls and hefts his hammer to prepare for another attack. Before he can do anything else, I leap forward and wrap my legs around his chest. I straddle him and pull out a knife. The Chieftain screams and stumbles around, trying to shake me off as I grab his forehead and forced him to look up before rapidly jabbing my knife into his eye again and again.

The Brutes screams turn into pathetic whimpers as he careens out of control. I leap off and watch him smash against a bulkhead and hit the ground. He cries pitifully before I finish him off with a quick cut across the throat. I step over his corpse and start to head inside the laboratory. Aside from the chieftain, there were no other guards stationed there.

I look around and find my armor and undersuit on a table. It was separated in dozens of smaller pieces that are scattered all over the table. Machines were set up around the table for various purposes. It looks like whoever was experimenting on it was starting to get busy.

I grab the undersuit first and begin to place it on, constantly looking over my shoulder towards the door for any more guards that might enter. I keep my trigger finger close to my Carbine as I start to dress up in my armor. Even though it was in dozens of pieces of armor all over, it only takes me about five minutes to put it all on.

My HUD comes to life and my shields begin to charge up. Once I'm done I get up and start to jog out back to the hanger. It wasn't hard finding it and all I have to do is leave the bodies left over by the Elites. They lead me back to the hangar which was embroiled in a massive firefight.

A squad of Elites was acting as a rearguard as their remaining comrades start to make their way into the Phantoms. They slowly start to back away towards the dropships while others move into Banshee fighters.

One Elite was on the second floor where I am. He doesn't seem to notice me as he crouches down his fighter and fires as a trio of Brutes advance closer with Spike rifles. He looks up and fires a burst from his plasma rifle until a spike finds itself into his mouth. The warrior drops to the ground and his rifle falls from his hands.

I rush forward, firing my carbine at the lead Brute who dances wildly with each round that hits him before stumbling to the ground. The other two runs as well, firing their rifles at full auto.

My shields flare up and slowly begin to drip away. Cursing, I take cover under the banshee and pick up the fallen aliens rifle. Throwing my carbine aside I fire the plasma rifle at them. The second Brute drops shortly after, but the final one bellows and swings his Spiker blades around.

He swings it at me, forcing me to roll aside and fire my rifle. But instead of firing more plasma rounds, it simply starts to vent excess heat. "Damnit," I swear and dive aside as the Brutes blade comes crashing again.

Without thinking I smash the weapon against the Brute's leg. He stumbles to one knee and growls, sweeping his hand across me and sends me crashing to the floor. He gets to his feet and growls, picking up his rifle once again. I fire the rifle but it only sparks as my attack dented the weapon. I throw it at him and slide back, feeling more spikes rain down at me.

I reach for my Carbine again and this time the Brute doesn't just take it and drops on the ground, dead. As I do, the last of the Phantoms leave the hangar with a pair of Banshees.

I head into the Banshee and my HUB quickly begins to adjust to the controls and guide me as I turn it on. Slowly I begin to get the ship to start moving, sliding out of the Battlecruiser and out into the sky. I activate the computer and start to track the other Phantoms. I have to know idea where I am and I don't know how to get back to human controlled space, but something tells me that they will.


	23. Chapter 23

**Percy's POV**

"Sir, the Prophet is bugging-out. Request permission to engage!" UNSC Commander Miranda Keyes says as the video feed from her ship In Amber Clad plays the Prophets Assault Carrier begins to enter a slipspace portal it summoned right in the middle of New Mombasa. The video was being sent from her ship to all nearby ships including _Paris_.

The air whooshes out of me as the Carrier begins to pass through. I feel Sam's hand wrap itself around mine as she watches it with wide eyes. For a second I thought there might have been tears but when I look again her eyes were clear.

Moral had taken a complete nosedive since the Fall of Reach. It didn't help that barely a couple weeks after another fleet had arrived on Earth, humanity's final stronghold. Not even Spartans could continue stomaching this kind of defeat time and time again. Sam seemed hit the hardest, and I understood. It was hard to be a fighter when what you're fighting for seems more and more like a distant dream while living in a nightmare.

I look at our interlocked hands and can't help but smile. For the past week, the two of us had spent more time together, sharing in our suffering.

Fleet Admiral Lord Hood looks at the screen as well, his jaw locking in a scowl. He shakes his head and points at two Marathon-Class Heavy Cruisers on the holo-map. "Negative, Commander. I'll vector two heavies for star side intercept."

The Assault Carrier started to accelerate, a purple glow emanating from it as it picks up speed towards the portal. By my count, it would maybe little over a minute before she was through the portal and gone forever.

"Ma'am, slipspace rupture of the target's bow! It's going to jump, _inside_ the city!" An officer behind Commander Keyes, the disbelief plain in his voice as it continues to happen.

"They're really doing it then?" Sam whispers quietly. I can only nod in agreement. A slipspace jump in the atmosphere was almost unheard of as most of the time it didn't end well for the crew inside or the surrounding area.

Miranda Keyes shakes her head and points at the camera. "There's no time, sir!"

Lord Hood seems torn with his decision. He finally nods and removes his cap, snapping a salute to her. "Green light! Green light to engage!"

The Commander salutes as well before her screen winking off. Lord Hood turns to Athena and nods grimly. "All nearby ships move to assist _In Amber Clad_. That means you too Athena."

"Yes, sir." She says and gestures for the rest crew to warm up the engines. The ship begins to speed up after them.

In the distance I can make out the massive blob of the Prophets Assault Carrier and the tiny speck of the In Amber Clad trying to speed up after it. A handful of other blobs were present as well, all struggling to keep up after it. None of them seem any larger that Commander Keyes ship.

Still, it would have to do for now.

"Increase engines by seventy percent," Athena commands as the ship begins to lag behind. She takes a seat on her command chair and holds it tighter as the Frigate starts to gain speed and closes the ground between them and the carrier. "That's more like it."

Up close the ship looks a much more intimidating. A Covenant Assault Carrier was one of the largest, most powerful ships in the Covenant Navy. The _Paris_ wasn't even a tenth of his side, all it would really take was one well-placed Plasma Torpedo to blow the whole ship to oblivion.

"ETA a minute ma'am." The officer reports and looks away from the screen.

General Athena frowns and shakes her head. "Not good enough. Up the engine even more. I want to be ready to back up _In Amber Clad_ at a moment's notice."

The officer frowns and hesitates to key in those instructions. "Are you sure about that? The engines would overheat if we move too quickly."

"They can be cooled later but I am not losing those ships." The General squares her shoulders and shakes her head. At this point there was no arguing with her and the man simply sighs and presses onwards.

The ship passes through the portal. Everyone sighs with relief. Now the only that needs to be done was keep the ship together for the journey.

I relax and slowly ease my grip from Sam's hand who smiles and keeps holding it. Sparks suddenly fly everywhere as one of the ship's terminals explodes in a puff of smoke. The techs a cough and one reaches for a fire extinguisher.

"It's too much power! Thrusters are overheating!" A tech shouts frantically.

"This is the UNSC Prowler Dusk to Paris do you read me?" A grave voice asks from the ship's communicators.

Athena runs to the mike and presses the speaker button. "Copy that Dusk this is Paris what's your status."

"We're right behind you but you're going too fast, we're falling behind." The voice replies urgently, getting weaker. Despite her efforts to regain the transmission, the voice fizzles out of existence

Athena sets the mike down. Without warning the ship comes to an abrupt stop and nearly causes me to tumble over if Sam didn't grab my hand and pull me back. "Oh dear god." Athena breathes out slowly as she stares out at a view, and the enormous Halo ring.

I feel my blood turn ice cold. I only saw images of the Halo rings once, but the rumors of what it can do will haunt me for the rest of my life. A weapon which can completely destroy all life in the galaxy.

Even with her years of experience Athena looks mind boggled and looks around. She paces around the deck, trying to collect her thoughts. She turns her attention to the tech. "Do you have a location of the Carrier?"

"Ay, ma'am. It's heading down towards the ring."

"Can you get the engines back to proper order?"

The tech who manages to put out all the smoke with a fire extinguisher looks around and starts over the controls. "Maybe, but it will take a few hours."

"And what about the other systems? Weapons, Communications?" She asks as looks around at the extent of the damage.

"Weapons are cold but operational." The Lieutenant in charge of weapons reports. "I can have them online in half an hour."

"Communications are functioning normally ma'am." The Operations officer says.

Athena sighs with relief, having at least one thing working normally. Even she couldn't quite hide the worry on her face. They were in unknown territory chasing blindly after a larger ship with most of their key systems down. That would be enough to throw even the best generals off their game. "Good, now establish communications with _In Amber Clad._ I want a report of everything that happened. Let's hope that things are better on your end."

The Communications officer salutes and begins typing at his station. For a few minutes, it was nothing but silence. Worry slowly starts to creep up into my chest. Did something happen to them?"

"This is Commander Keyes reporting in," A voice suddenly appears all over the speakers much to everyone's relief. "Sorry for the slow response it took a while to find you guys."

"What's your status Commander? Hopefully, it's better than the state we're in." Athena asks. She activates the ships holo tank and gets a holographic version of the Commander.

She nods. "We're in pursuit of the Prophet as we speak. Master Chief is right on his tail. But there's a new mission, if there is a second Halo ring then there's also another activation index. We could use some help."

Athena shots up from her seat and nods, her old confidence returning. Coordinating attacks and troops for battle, this was something she understands perfectly. "I have three Pelicans ready to fly in a few minutes."

Commander Keyes holds up her hand and shakes her head. "No Pelicans that's actually the problem. Cortana has managed to track the location of the Index and my probes have found a suitable landing site nearby for dropships. But I need some men to help secure it. You think your people can handle it?"

Sam and I stand up straighter as the General smirks. "I have just the team for the job. I'll contact you once the landing zone has been secured. Athena out." She closed the holo tank and turns to us. "You know the drill Spartan. Gather your team and get your asses planetside."

* * *

"Incoming Wraith tank!" Vincent warns and ducks behind the pit we were taking cover in. He curses just as a mortar shell explodes overhead, sending bits of dirt flying at us.

This pit was the only kind of cover before the Covenants fortifications. They had taken control of an old building and have turrets mounted along with shades on a nearby cliffside. A hundred yards back was a jungle our drop pods landed in.

They were originally meant to hide their approach, but that wasn't really enough considering they came down like a meteor.

I unsling the rocket launcher on my back and slide a rocket into it. "Cover fire!"

Vincent and Andrew lift their upper bodies out of the hole and begin firing their rifles, screaming at the top of their lungs. Plasma fire from turrets sprays at them, quickly depleting out their shields.

I activate the 2X zoom onto the Wraith and pull the trigger. It was advancing forward, its cannon preparing to fire once again when my rocket hits and causes the cockpit to explode. "Franklin nows your chance. Secure the high ground."

The Spartan snaps a salute, pulling his pistol out. He leaps out of the hole and disappears from view. "Sam, how are things on your end?" I shout and fire a second rocket into one of the shade turrets. The gunner attempts to bail but he's engulfed in the flames and tumbles off the cliff.

I turn around and spot Sam in the jungle. She spins her shotgun around and drives the bayonet into a Jackal's chest. After landing, a jungle patrol tried to flank them but they instead ran into Sam. "Looks like the last of them. I'm moving to your position."

"Prepare to advance! I'll create a distraction." I roll forward and drive my fist into the ground and activate my bubble shield. I notice one or two turrets swiveling to my direction. Good, they're waiting for my shield to falter. I move to a crouch and reload my rocket launcher.

No sooner does my shield drop does a rocket come flying towards one of the buildings. The turret explodes and for a few second there was a lull in the shooting, but the carbine fire on my side tells me that I didn't get everyone. Vincent and Andrew quickly run inside and light the building with gunfire.

"Sam let's storm the rest of them," I shout and begin to rush towards the Covenant troops taking cover behind some rocks. The Brute Major growls and fires his spike rifle at me. I move to the left and then right before bolting over the rock and fill him with bullet holes.

Sam appears at my side, firing her shotgun at them. The two of us stand back to back together as we take out those soldiers still outside. My rifle soon clicks empty as I drop a trio of Grunts.

I take cover and begin firing my underslung grenade launcher at them. Behind me Sam whirls around and fires at a Brute waving his gun like a knife. As he fall I look around for my next enemy but don't see anyone left. A few Grunts were fleeing in the distance on all four, but they were too far away to shoot at. In the buildings I see my teammates flashing their green acknowledgement lights flashing while the Shades have been disabled in the ridge.

"Area secure Commander," I say to my helmet radio.

"Copy that Spartan." Miranda Keyes replies. Overhead a trio of Pelicans appear from the skies and begin to land on the flat plain.

The doors open and Marines quickly stream out. At the head of the men was a young dark-haired woman in a grey naval uniform. She loses a round into her pistols chamber. "Excellent work Spartans."

We all salute as the Marines start to mount on Warthogs. "It was nothing ma'am."

She smiles as a jeep rolls up behind her, driven by an African-American marine with the symbol of the sergeant-major on the side of his uniform. "Oh is that so? If that's the case then I have another job for you."

"Name it Commander." The rest of Crusader starts to make their way towards us.

"Although you've secured this area my ships scans indicate there is still plenty of activity beyond," She explains. "most likely from Covenant forces. It would very helpful if you helped cause some chaos while we advance."

I feel a grin starting to tug on my face. "Consider it done ma'am. But we'll need some transportation."

"The second wave of Pelicans will arrive soon carrying transportation for you and your team." She climbs into the passenger's seat and nods. "Goodluck Spartans."

With that, the Master Sergeant hits the gas and drives off. "Alright you heard her we're going to take some pressure off their advance." I turn on my radio. "Franklin get down here."

In response all I get is static. "Franklin? Franklin!"

Sam tries to raise him as well. "I got nothing too."

"Vincent come with me. Let's get up that ridge and find out what the hell happened to him?" I order and begin to job theirs.

He nods after a moment and moves to join me. As we reach the top another pair of Pelican appears carrying Warthogs. I begin to move around the ridge, keeping my rifle ready.

Franklin was definitely here judging by all the dead Covenant troops there and the two burning shade turrets. As I move to peer over the edge the ground starts to crack underneath me. I jump back as the ground gives way and falls away. "Shit."

"You alright Percy?" Vincent runs up to me and inspects the ground. Once he was sure that the patch we were standing on was stable he looks over again. It was at least a twenty-foot fall that leads to directly to the ground.

I nod and join him. "Do you think he could have fallen there?"

"It's a possibility." Vincent looks through the scope of his DMR and frowns. "Hello there."

He slings his rifle and points to a trail where some rocks fell, but that's not the important thing. What was important was that they appear to have drag marks. "It's too far to judge from up here but looking at its depth is very likely they were dragging something heavy."

I briefly entertain the possibility that it could have been them dragging some of their heavy weapons or maybe one of their vehicles but quickly rule them out. Those would have been dropped from Phantoms.

"Let's get to the hog then get a closer look." The two of us make our way back to the landing sight. This time when we arrived there was another squad of marines there waiting for us. They were to guard the landing zone while we were gone.

Two jeeps were left neatly in the corner. One was armed with the usual LAAG while the second one was a bit more interesting. A smile forms on my lips as I see the light gauss cannon. Without a moment of hesitation, I climb onto the gauss turret and turn the safeties off.

I mark a nav tracker on my teams HUD as Sam climbs onto the driver's seat. "Head to that direction. I wanna check something there. That goes for you two Andrew."

They nod and the jeeps engines roar to life as they shakily move across the rocky road. The whole Warthog bucks and bounces around. I tighten my hold on the turret and plant my feet firmly on the ground.

The arrow rapidly draws closer and before I know it, Vincent leaps out of his Warthog and looks around. I begin to swivel the turret around, looking around for any enemies who might be hiding. A few minutes later the rifleman returns holding something in his hand that looks like some sort of appendage. It resembles a crab leg somewhat but without a thick shell and looks pretty frail. It was the color of rotting flesh and definitely smells like it. "What is it?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Vincent shrugs, though the uncertainty was plain in his voice. "It's definitely not part of any Covenant I've ever seen. Not even those weird floating things that are on their ships. I found it on some puddle there."

I follow after him and he points at a pile of green goop on the ground along with more bits of flesh, all of it took damaged to be of use. "The trail goes on this way. If we follow it we'd most likely run into some Covenant troop. I think there was an outpost nearby."

"Well, a prison break isn't a bad distraction for the Commander." I try to smirk, though a spark of uncertainty jolts through my spine. Something around here wasn't right.

After a moment's hesitation, Vincent nods. "Ya." He turns at the heel and marches back to his jeep.

I tighten my fingers around the turrets as Sam starts to drive off again, right behind Andrew and Vincent who in turn were following to the trail.

As we drive I begin to look around for the Covenant, or more of those weird creatures with those appendages, or any clue for where Franklin might be. We reach the crest and my blood runs cold as I see in the not to great distance a massive metal wall. Behind that was some strange structure with four prongs rising up to protect its roof.

"That's where the Commander is heading?" I hear Sam question in front of me.

"It seems like it, but if Franklin is there then so are we," I reply, squaring my jaw.

Andrew's voice suddenly sounds on the radio. "Guys I'm spotting a Covenant outpost about five klicks out."

I nod and Sam speeds up to catch up to them. "Leads the way then."

The horizon shifts from simple grasslands to dense jungles. I spot movement between some of the trees and quickly turn my turret in my direction. My fingers slowly start to move towards the trigger just as two Covenant Ghosts burst out from the thickets. One barely manages to get out before my shot takes it right in the front and throws the pilot's body flying out.

I was about to turn and fire at the second one when we hit a pothole, causing my shot to go wide. The pilot returns fire with his plasma cannons. I crouch down behind the turret as stray shots start to splash against my shields. The Ghost boosts forward and starts to bump against the jeep.

Sam screams as it causes her to hit the steering wheel. I nearly lose my footing and tumble off as the Ghost bumps us again. The Elite growls and pulls out a pistol and starts to fire at me. I spin around behind the turret and ready my own gun. When his pistol starts to overheat I leap out and fire a single explosive from its underslung grenade launcher.

The bomb hits one of the vehicle's wings. The alien worts just as the Ghost swerves to the side uncontrollably and smashes into the trees. I sigh with relief as the base comes closer to sight. Several bulbous purple buildings come into sight.

But even as we draw closer the feeling doesn't go away, there were no guards stationed outside waiting for us. The trees would have been perfect for snipers to hide in but if there were any none make a move.

We park our ships short ways off and hide them in the forest. The four of us form up and ready our weapons, looking around for any Covenant nearby. Once everything was clear we start to head closer towards the base.

Even as we begin advancing nothing seems to stop us, vehicles were abandoned all over the base, burning and broken but there were no bodies. I point towards the ops center.

I and Vincent take cover behind the sides of the door and prepare to burst in while Andrew takes the position in front and readies his flamethrower. Sam activates the door and we all brace ourselves for an attack.

When the door opens I nearly throw up my lunch. Covenant troops were torn apart in there. Chests were ripped open and others were bisected, some were so badly butchered that it was impossible to tell what species they were.

Sam trembles and looks like she's ready to collapse. I help her up and place a hand reassuringly around her. Vincent inspects the others and moves around while Andrew watches our flank. "It's all clear!" The rifleman announces.

As we advance forward some of the vents start to shake loudly. I ready my weapons and take aim as swarms of small bulbous, squid-like creature burst out of the vents. They were barely a foot wide and a few inches tall. They begin to move all around us, on leaping right at me.

I swat it aside with my rifle and sends it flying where it pops against the wall. It explodes sending bits of it everywhere. The others start to advance forward and two tendrils start to rise up with little appendages on it. "Fire, fire!"

The others don't need any more encouragement and start to fire at it. Dozens of those things pop like over-inflated balloons, sending pus and gore everywhere. Even when they manage to leap onto us the creatures still burst against my shields though slightly drains them.

Andrew growls and ignites his flamethrower and burns entire swaths through them, but even as they slaughter the strange creatures dozens more burst out from the vent. "Cover me!" Vincent pulls out a frag grenade and throws it into the vent, just as they start to overwhelm him.

I switch to my grenade launcher and shoot it around him. We all dive out of the way as the grenade explodes, sending shrapnel everywhere. Everyone of the small creature were consumed in the explosion. I breath a sigh of relief just as another creature comes out from the smoke, this time it was far too large to be one of those squid things. It looks like an Elite, but badly malformed.

Its head was thrown back at an unnatural angle, barking and wanting incoherently while one arm extends out like a jagged claw. As it walks out the monster's chest was torn apart and one of those squid creatures protrudes out.


	24. Chapter 24

**Percy's POV**

The last of those little creatures pokes itself out of one of the slain Brutes. It skitters around, moving over and under corpses as it makes a break for the doorway. I raise my pistol and squeeze a single shot. There was a loud pop as the thing sends its fluids everywhere, bits of it raining down on the floor.

I look back at the rest of my team and a feeling of dread suddenly washes over me. They were all hunched and exhausted. This was barely a battle yet none of them look ready to go into another. I approach Sam and place a hand on her shoulder. "W-what. What the hell just happened." She growls in a low raspy voice.

Around me, the others share her sentiment. They all stand rigid and ready to fight, but there was also a desperation in their body language, panic, and fear. Almost like a rifle with its safety permanently set off. "I don't know," I reply quietly. Part of me wants nothing more than to assure them everything was fine, but I also know none of them appreciate being babied. "But will that stop us?"

"No," Andrew says first, his voice was husky and thick but that didn't mean he means what he says any less. "We still have a mission to do."

Slowly Sam and Vincent join in. The latter fires another shot at one of the Elites we killed. Like the others, it had one of those squid things buried inside its chest. Already the flesh underneath its armor was turning putrid like it was decaying. "At least we won't need to worry about distracting the Covenant."

"Wait, guys." Sam suddenly pipes up as she jerks forward. "The commander! She may not know about these creatures!"

"We need to warn them!" Vincent agrees and presses his marksman rifle close to his chest.

Andrew grunts and taps his foot. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He questions as he picks up his flamethrower.

What he means didn't need to be said, they all know who he was referring to. "The Pelican!" I snap my fingers as an idea comes to mind. "We can use its scanners and try and tracks Franklin's Neural Interface."

Sam makes a gesture smiles and nods eagerly. "Your right that's brilliant." A bit of that old energy returns to her voice. Even Vincent has to nod in agreement and say its a good plan. We all turn and quickly begin racing upstairs. Thankfully there isn't more Covenant or of those creatures to stop us.

As we move I activate my radio and call Bianca. "Bianca we need your help! Pick up at these coordinates." I don't bother waiting for her reply as I transmit coordinates. We soon reach the top floor and just as we exit the building a shot from a beam rifle fires out of nowhere and hits a few inches from me. I jerk my leg back and we all get back into a combat stance, but no further shots come.

In fact, the whole area sounds eerily quiet until the Pelican's engines fly overhead. Its chin mounted cannon swivels around the jungle and searches around for enemies, occasionally firing into the bushes before finally landing. We all quickly board and strap down into the seats just as the bird flies away.

"Alright, guys what are we looking for?" Bianca asks as she glances back from the cockpit. She frowns as she sees us. "Shouldn't there be more of you?"

"Ya. That's what we need you for. We need to track the Neural Interface of another Spartan. He should be around here somewhere."

Bianca nods and turns back to her instruments, slowly she begins key things in. "This thing isn't meant for tracking you know. I'll see what I can do."

The ship begins to veer away from the area and circles around the area while Bianca stares at her screen. Nico was behind the controls and guiding the ship around while they continue to search for Franklin. Meanwhile, as that's going on I try to raise Commander Keyes on the phone, but all I get is static. "Hello? Commander are you there?" I shout desperately.

"I'm not seeing her transponder on the scanners either. Or the commanders." Bianca replies grimly. "It's almost as if she just vanished."

That was a troubling thought. I rub my eyes and try to think about everything just happens, those creatures from the outpost the certainly weren't Covenant. Not with the way even they feared them. But that wasn't the most troubling, it was how they changed the Covenant soldiers, mutating them alive or dead.

I shudder and try to take that thought out of my head. We quickly begin to approach the structure that the Commander was trying to get to. The fighting had mostly died down but occasionally I can still spot a few explosions in the distance. Hopefully, that means there are still Marines down there.

"Wait, I think I'm getting some signals towards the south," Bianca announces suddenly as she directs the Pelican towards a different direction. "Guys, you might want to take a look at this."

She says, her voice lowering to a dreadful tone as she points at the computer screen. I remove my harness and start to make my way towards the cockpit. Glancing at the screen, I feel my heart leap into my mouth when I see what she's referring to. The same creatures at the outpost, thousands of them were all running in one direction, stumbling around with weapons in their hands.

Most of them were Covenant warriors, particularly Elites and Brutes. But my blood drains from my face as I spot a human-like mutant. It was holding a shotgun in its hands while it leaps in the air. Another soon joins it along with several more. "Are those-"

Bianca nods. "Those are the transponder signals."

"My God." Those words come out dry and choked. I stare at them for a long moment before turning away. "Do you see Franklin in there?"

"I can't tell. We're too far away." She replies and looks around at the screen. "And I doubt I can land anywhere with those things."

I nod, trying to think of a plan to find Franklin. But before even the bare bones of an idea happen, Bianca clears her throat. "Percy, we may need to go."

"Go?" I look at the brown-haired girl who was chewing her lip uncertainly. But she nods her head in confirmation. I blink once in surprise but, it was quickly being replaced with irritation. "Why? If you can't land then circle around until we find him then."

She shakes her head. "It's not as simple as that. We don't have enough fuel for many runs. We'll need to return to the ship sooner or later, and I'd much rather do while we still have a chance."

A growl forms on my lips. How could she possibly even consider that? "What happened to no man gets left behind?"

"It was thrown out when the dead started walking again and when their swarming every inch of this place. Listen, Percy, I wanna help him just as much as you do, but here we can't risk it. "

Before I can say anymore, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Sam was there, her eyes sad and full of remorse, but she nods her head as well. "She's right. I think it's best if we get out of here now."

I stare at her in shock, but the logic of their words was undeniable. Slowly I lower my head and nod. "Fine, get us out of here." She nods and soon the Pelican is turning around towards the other direction.

* * *

I walk out of the ship's bay, keep my rifle close to my chest as I walk around the perimeter. We barely managed to fly for a few hours before needing to land. Not because of fuel thankfully, but because the airspace was full of Covenant patrol craft.

Even as I finish my rounds I see a trio of Banshees fly overhead and disappear into the jungle. "How many does that make?" Sam asks as she finishes counting shells for her shotgun.

"That's the fifth patrol since we landed," I reply. The others were sitting around, their helmets off as they play cards.

She starts to load the shells into her gun before slinging it over her shoulder. "We can't stay here for long. It will only take one banshee spotting our position to screw us over."

I nod in agreement. Staying out here was too risky, especially when we don't have any chances to resupply. Bianca was still sitting on the troop bay, taking inventory of the weapons we have. Aside from the ones we were already carrying, she found a pair of M6Gs, four MA5s, one battle rifle and a couple of grenades.

All of them were set out around her as she finishes cleaning the weapons locker for anything valuable. "How far are we from the ship?" I ask her, walking up to the Pelican.

"I have no idea where the _In Amber Clad_ went." She admits. That wasn't good at all, especially thinking about what happened to the crew, and that the Commander has disappeared. I quickly shake my head. No, there wasn't time for those kinds of thoughts. "Though I at least know that the _Paris_ is about a few klicks from here, at least it was when I left,"

I nod, at least that was good to hear. "And is there any way we could reach it?"

"Not by air that's for sure." She says as she looks at the sky. I sigh, hoping that she wouldn't say that, but slowly I pick up my pack and start to fill it with ammunition. Bianca frowns when she sees this. "What are you doing?"

"Packing," I reply. "We need to reach the ship somehow."

Slowly she begins to help place ammo in my bag before calling the others. Each of us takes the remaining weapons before gathering leaves and branches. We place them over the Pelican to try and hide it from the Covenant. It might be able to fool an air patrol, but soldiers on the ground will easily see the difference.

Once that was all done we quickly start to make our way down the path. We follow Bianca's directions who point out which way the ship was. She takes us through a rocky a path that cuts through the mountain. The pass was barely enough for us to cross single file and plenty of times more than one of us loses their footing and nearly slips over the edge.

"This was where the ship was when I left." She says and points at a small valley just beyond the mountain. "Athena had the _Paris_ hide here. Apparently, the Commander was supposed to rendezvous here after she finished up finding something called the Cartographer."

"Why here?" Andrew asks as he looks around. There wasn't much of anything, not even cover for the Frigate to hide in. "It seems like a terrible place to hide."

"What if they weren't hiding," Sam says from behind, taking up the rearguard as we march. "I mean she withheld most of the crew onboard the _Paris_ instead of supporting Commander Keyes's attack."

Vincent shrugs and looks around through the scope of his rifle. "That doesn't prove anything, she could just be keeping them in reserve."

"If she was keeping them in reserve, then why didn't she deploy them when the Commander's troops turned into those...things," I ask, feeling the bile in my throat. If that was the case, then I'm going to get answers from the General.

As those thoughts go through my head, we finally reach the foot of the pass. Bianca crouches down with her rifle in hand as she begins to move ahead. "Holy crap." She suddenly says and stops moving.

We all follow after her and move out the bushes to see the remains of a battle. Dozens of Elite and Grunt corpses were all over the path just beyond. The four of us quickly move out and start to look around at the carnage. "You think these were Athena's marines?" Nico asks and kicks one of the Grunts who slumps onto the ground.

I look at one of the Elites whose chest is wide open, probably caused by an explosion from their needlers. His body was still warm and limp. A quick glance around at the other aliens tells me that their bodies were much the same.

"I doubt it," Andrew says kneeling down to lift an Elites arm. Underneath was a large plasma burn. "These burns were caused by plasma weapons."

"Maybe the marine's captured plasma weapons and used them against the Covenant?" Bianca suggests.

"Not unless that what they were all using," Sam remarks and gets up. "I don't see any bullet wounds from rifles."

Nico shifts around from foot to foot. "Could it be," He says quietly, sounding much like the scared kid we found. "Caused by those things?"

No one seems to like their thought as they all stare at him, upset with that idea. But it was Vincent who puts them all to rest. "I doubt it, those things were on foot while we flew, and it still took us hours to get here. They're probably too far behind."

"Well, lets go before whatever did this decided to come back," I say and get up, leaving the Elites body where it was. The others nod and quickly follow. As we walk Bianca continues to try and contact the Paris.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She says repeatedly onto her radio.

Finally, Vincent turns to her and sighs. "Just give it up. You're not going to reach anyone. If the ship was here then it's gone now."

More bodies soon follow as we walk, again mostly of Elites and Grunts. A large firefight seems to have broken out around the clearing, leaving nothing but dead aliens. But when I reach the other side I see the body of a Brute. Half its face was burned off by plasma fire and he was still gripping the Spiker in his hands. The thing was hot to the touch.

This time the whole scene leaves no clue to what happened. "The Covenant are killing each other." I look up and turn to the rest of them,

Bianca looks skeptical and the others look at me as if I was crazy, although Sam seems more confused and gestures for me to continue. "What do you mean? That's crazy."

"Is it?" I look at the rest of them, waiting for any of them to contradict me. But when none speak up I speak again. "Think about it. Why are there no human bodies and why are the Covenant only being killed by Covenant weapons."

"But why?" Nico asks.

I frown. That was the million credit question. "That's what I wanna find out."

As those words come out of my mouth, a sudden shriek causes everyone to crouch down. Sam pulls out the rocket launcher and takes aim at the sky. There was a brief pause as we continue to look around.

A Banshee bursts out from the sky. Its trailing smoke from the wing just as three other fighters chase after it. They fire bursts of plasma at it while the ship being chased desperately tries to shake them.

Sam lets a rocket loose which hits one of the pursuing fighters. The Banshee takes a blow right at the side and tumbles out of the sky. This causes the remaining two to break off, but not before their target is hit again and causes flames to spread onto its body. The thing crashes short ways off into the jungle.

Just as the victorious Banshees circle around, another bout of plasma fire suddenly knocks them aside. A Phantom soon looms past them and begins to rain down plasma fire.

"Hello, this is UNSC _Paris_! Are there any UNSC personnel still out there? Hello?" A voice suddenly calls out. Bianca turns to her radio and picks it up.

"You have Private Bianca Di Angelo here." She replies and holds it with trembling hands.

"Thank god we were starting to worry that there was no one left. What is your status Private?" The soldier behind the coms sighs with relief.

"Active but barely. Our bird is out of commission and I have a team of Spartans. Covie air patrol is preventing us from getting out of here."

"Understood Private. We'll be sending you an alternative route and a pickup." The man replies and nods. "Get your team down there."

I look beyond to where it lands. Smoke was rising from the crash site. The Phantom soon follows and moves close by. What the heck is going on there? Sam sighs with relief. "There's a Pelican on the way guys. Now let's head down there."

Bianca, however, holds up a hand suddenly and frowns. "Wait, something's wrong." She raises her Tacpad and points it around until she stops at the site of the crash. "No, that can't be right."

"What is it?" Andrew asks, taking a step closer.

She points at the Banshee and shows the Tacpad which was the beeping and vibrating in her hands. "I'm detecting a UNSC transponder in that crash site"

"That could be Franklin," Sam says happily as she walks up to us.

"It could also be one of those creatures," Vincent suggests cautiously and looks through the scope of his rifle.

"Why would he be alone then?" I reply, frowning as well. That wasn't any good if it's one of those monsters. I remember how they infected all those marines. "But that gives us all the more reason to check it out. If those creatures get out then it could be a disaster."

"That's not our orders." He replies curtly and shakes his head. He steps back and squares his shoulders firmly. "And if those creatures are attacking the Covenant then even better. Let them tear each other apart."

"It still seems like it's worth checking out." Sam agrees. "If it's Franklin them we need to help him."

I step forward between them before anything else happens. "Alright, there's an easy solution to this. Bianca and Sam will come with me to the crash site. If Franklin really is there then we'll bring him back, if it's not then we kill whatever's inside. The rest of you make your way to the landing site. Wait for us for as long as you can but if we're not back there in a few hours, leave us. Does that sound good to everyone?"

The others nod in agreement, even Vincent nods sullenly.

"Then let's go." I say and collect my supplies before beginning to scale down the cliffs. Bianca and Sam follow soon after.

* * *

"We should be coming up the crash sight in a few minutes," Bianca announces as she points over the crest of a hill. She was crouching down with her rifle tightly in hand. Sam was on the ground beside her. She gets up and readies her shotgun.

I walk out of the treeline and click the safety of my rifle. "Are you sure?"

She nods. "I marked the area before we left. Now come on let's go." With that, she gets up and quickly begins to sprint up the small hill. We quickly follow after and ready our rifles as we see the remains of the Banshee. It ripped through the ground for almost thirty feet and tears a wing is missing, several feet away.

Before we can get any closer, a Phantom appears overhead. I signal them to back away and move towards the bushes. A quartet of Brutes emerges along with a group of Jackals who already their weapons and begin advancing towards the Banshee.

The flap of the fighter begins to move up to reveal a Spartan coming out. My breath turns raw in my mouth as I instantly recognize the figure after all these years. She's grown up so much since we last saw each other. Persephone manages to stumble out of the ship just as the first Jackal starts to fire. They use Carbines and start to pin her down behind the ruined frame of her ship.

My sister begins to fire back, green rounds flying from her own weapon. She manages to down one Jackal from her attack before taking cover again. One Brute finally seems to lose patience and starts to barrel down.

She moves as swift as lightning, darting from her cover and firing her Carbine before going into a close quarters mode and smacking her weapon against them. Bianca and Sam step beside me and prepare to move, but I hold them back. "It looks like she can handle herself."

Within a few minutes, every Covenant soldier was dead.

My sister stands over their bodies, panting slightly as she keeps her Carbine resting on her shoulders. Once she's sure that they're all dead she begins to inspect her gun for damages before turning to me.

The two of us stare at each other for a long moment, neither of us uttering a word. I doubt we ever could if we wanted. She makes the first move and runs towards me, pulling me into a tight hug as her fingers dig into my shoulder plate.

Slowly I begin to return the gesture, feeling her smaller form close to me. My mind is still racing to what was happening. Part of was still in deniable that Persephone was here, but feeling her this close erases any doubt. From the corner of my vision, I see Sam and Bianca watching a few feet away from a respectful distance. "What are you doing here?" She finally asks.

I pull away long enough just to explain. "We were sent her after the Covenant fled from Earth."

She looks horrified. "The Covenant are on earth now?"

"Not anymore," I assure her. Bianca clears her throat and points at her mission watch. Instantly I nod and my mind turns back to our job. "We'll talk on the way to the ship. Let's go."

"What about you? I thought you got reassigned to your new team." I ask, walking beside her. She insists on staying close to her, as if afraid I'll disappear if I don't, not that I minded.

My sister nods. "I was for a while, but then I have transferred again to a group called NOBLE Team. They were an elite force of Spartans too."

Sam looks back at the sight. "Where are they?"

"They're dead." My sister's expression darkens as we trudge onward. "I was captured by the Covenant shortly afterward."

"Captured?" I raise an eyebrow curiously. It was odd hearing about Covenant keeping humans alive, prisoners were almost unheard of saving for those high ranking enough worth keeping. "I didn't know Covenant started taking prisoners."

"They weren't. They only wanted me for my armor." She explains. "They wanted to reverse engineer it in order to recreate their own versions for the Elites."

"They didn't though, right?" I ask cautiously. Even now Elites were some tough nuts to crack in a fight. If they were able to get their hands on the superior technology for Spartan armor then it would be a disaster.

Persephone gives a long look at what was it? Disappointment? Anger? But finally, she nods her head. "Now, they weren't able to get it. I was able to escape before."

"How? Bianca asks and looks around, keeping her rifle ready. Short ways off the Phantom appears and begins to land, but it was too far away to worry about. Persephone points at it.

"Them." She replies. "The Elites helped me escape."

Sam did a double take. "Your joking right. Why would they help you escape?"

"Because they didn't want my armor to fall into the hands of the Brutes. For some reason, they've started killing each other. I'm not sure why."

I think back to the dead Elites and Brutes back at the pass. Could they have actually killed each other? I certainly wouldn't have been the worst thing to have them fighting each other instead of us. "But why didn't they keep you for themselves?"

"They said that it would have been too difficult." She shrugs and turns away.

Bianca tries to raise the others on her radio. "Hello, Nico are you there?" She calls to the radio.

"Ya, I'm here." He replies. "We're at the landing sight sis. The Pelican isn't here yet but I'll send you the coordinates."

Her datapad starts to beep and she taps it. The map appears on the screen, the passing zone marked with a bright red X. It was near a river and just at the edge of the jungle.

"That's not too far. Maybe an hour walk." Sam notes and we soon start to make our way there. For the rest of the way everyone was silent, there wasn't much to say as we make our way there. As we make our way there the Covenant air patrols gradually start to lessen until we only see a single fighter every few minutes.

The sound of water rushing suddenly fills my ears. It didn't sound far, I quickly begin to move forward and push through the branches until the river comes to sight. "This way!" I shout, pointing at the water. There wasn't any other body of water nearby. It had to be it.

The others join me as we walk alongside the river. "We should be nearing the landing site. It's only about five minutes away now." She exclaims happily.

I open my mouth to reply, but something drowns out my reply. A Banshee appears out of nowhere and speeds towards us. Another soon follows, trailing after it. Out here there was no doubt that it sees us, the plasma turrets start to open up, strafing the ground in front us. "Take cover!" I shout.

The others quickly back away, Persephone, Bianca and I firing with our rifles while Sam slings the rocket launcher from her back and takes aim. The missile hits home and the second Banshee goes down in a burst of flames and crashes into the river.

The other ship was out of range by the time Sam turns to face it. I expect it to turn and launch another strafing attack, but instead, it stays on its course and continues to move forward. Quickly we follow after it. "Guys come on it's heading for the landing zone!"

The rest of them quickly follow, Sam, falling behind as she struggles to maintain balance while carrying the rocket launcher on her shoulder. We sprint the rest of the way there and soon come across the Pelican hoovering ten feet in the air. Nico and the others were already onboard as the ship was fighting off a pair of Banshees as the one we were chasing joins in. The bird was moving in a circle, its chin-mounted cannon blazing against the more nimble fighters which buzz around it like angry bees.

Andrew had the rear mounted Vulcan and was firing at anything that got too close. Behind him was Nico who tries feebly to shoot at the Banshees with his assault rifle. He quickly waves around to get our attention once he notices us. This stops as a shot from its fuel rod cannon nearly causes Nico to fall out.

"Come on they need help!" I begin to shot grenades at the fighters, using the EMP function. One such fighter takes the grenade and tumbles out of the fight. For a second it seems like it's about to crash into the water, but at the last second it regains power and flies up. Thankfully Sam's rocket takes it out off the fight for good.

Another is taken out by the sustained fire of Andrew's turret. The last one makes a break for it but it barely gets out of the forest with the sustained rifle fire from the rest of us, though it soon starts to circle around for another attack. It fires its Fuel Rod Cannons and scores a hit against the Pelican which begins to smoke. Flames shoot out from the side of the ship. "The bird can't take any more damage, sir." The Pilot shouts at me frantically.

As the pilot struggles to regain control of the ship, Nico falls out but was saved by Andrew who reaches out and grabs his arm. The Banshee swoops down, firing plasma again at it as the Pelican struggles to right itself. My mind goes blank as I rack my brains for a way to take that ship down.

Behind me, Sam screams and the next thing I know, the Banshee was spinning out of control and crashes into the trees, disappearing from sight. The others stare at me in shock. "What the hell happened." Sam cries out loudly. "A geyser came out and just hit the Banshee out of the sky."

My sister looks at me uncertainly, as if she just saw a ghost. Before I can question her she signals the ship down. With the fighters gone, the Pelican slowly starts to go down and we all climb aboard.

The Pilot starts to take off, guiding the ship down the river. He turns and swerves to the right, behind the mountains we passed and there was the _Paris_ , on the ground and half buried in the foliage. "This is Kilo-841. Requesting permission to land." The pilot says on the radio.

"Copy that Kilo-841. You're cleared for landing." The officer replies. Soon the ship touches down and the rest of us move out. I and Persephone walk towards the bridge in silence. She takes her helmet off to show her face is even paler than normal. She removes something from the back slot and clutches it tightly in her hands.

The doors slides open to the bridge. Athena was there, as usual, directing her troops and organizing her troops while keeping the ship running. "General." I step forward and salute to her.

The General turns to me and returns the gesture. She looks over my shoulder to me and her eyebrows move up in surprise. That was the only sign of emotion coming from her. "Is that who I think it is?"

I nod. "Yes, my team found my sister running away from the Covenant. She escaped captivity on one of their ships and landed here."

Athena walks over to her and places a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome back. It's good to have you here."

She nods and holds up the chip in her hands. "You need to see this." Persephone glances around at the bridge and leans closer to her. "But not out here?"

The General frowns and clears her throat. "That hardly seems-"

"Ma'am," she says more firmly. "It is important."

Pursuing her lips. Athena nods and excuses herself. She gestures for us to follow. The two of us look at each other, but Persephone shrugs and goes with her. I join her as we make our way to Athena's quarters.

She shuts the door behind us and sits down on her desk chair. "Alright, what is it that you wanted me to see?"

Persephone walks over to the holotank on the side and places the chip in. It begins to play the firefight we fought in a few minutes ago against the Banshees. The General sits down and watches this. Her eyes stare at the screen intently, but oddly enough she doesn't seem particularly surprised.

Finally, when the videos over, she sighs deeply. "We need to talk."


	25. Chapter 25

**Percy's POV**

Athena looks at each of us slowly, her lip moving up and down through no words come out. It almost seems like she doesn't know what to say, something I don't think I've ever seen before. She sighs deeply, letting the air leave her chest as she calms herself down. She sits down and nods. "Very well then, I suppose you all deserve an explanation. Do you know why you were chosen as Spartans?"

I speak up. "Yes, we were offered a chance for revenge against the Covenant for the destruction of our homeworlds."

Athena nods slowly. "Well yes, but do you know why you Spartans, specifically chosen?"

We shake our heads slowly. "Its because you met several genetic requirements necessary for augmentations." She continues and removes her glasses. "One of which was your parentage."

"Our parentage?" Sam scratches her head curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean tell me if this sounds familiar. One or both of your parents were dead, apparently from the Covenant so you had foster parents to raise instead." We all look at each other, realization dawning on is as it seems that we see each other for the first time.

Athena squeezes her eyes shut to a wince as if the next thing she says will be painful. "It is because your true parents are gods."

"Pardon ma'am?" Persephone asks, raising an eyebrow. The rest of us look equally confused as we glance at each other. Did Athena misspeak or was this some sort of bad joke? But looking at her face I can see she was completely serious when she says that.

"I'm not lying." The General replies, a bit of an edge creeping into her voice. "Your parents are the gods. The old gods from the myths in ancient times. Why do you think that you were taught Greek Mythology in your training, why do you think that there are officers named after deities."

Everyone quickly turns to her, staring in disbelief. No, that can't possibly be true, the gods and monsters were just myths. The stress must be getting to her. But the General seems to sense our doubts and spreads her arms in the air. As she does a warm, golden glow begins to surround her body. Light starts to radiate from the room, and even with our enhanced vision, we force ourselves to look away.

Suddenly there was a brilliant explosion that fills the room and when we glance again at Athena she was floating several inches in the air. Her clothes change from fatigues to a Greek-style dress with gold anklets, bracelets, and sandals.

"So it's true." I continue to watch her as she drops to the ground and looks at each of us. There was a hint of emotion in her eyes. Was that pity? Sympathy? She pushes her finger on my chin and makes me look up at her. "Each of you has a godly parent which we determined from your Spartan training."

She begins to pace around us, stopping before each one of us. "Vincent, you are a son of Apollo, Sam, you are a daughter of Ares, Andrew your father is Hephaestus and you Percy and Persephone, you two are twin children of Poseidon." I catch a bit of distaste in her voice and even a little fear.

"What about those we lost?" Persephone asks, her voice barely containing her anger.

Athen for once doesn't reprimand her for it and simply nods. "Franklin was a son of Hermes and Nathan was also a son of Apollo."

My sister stands in front of her, clenching her fists tightly as she growls. "With all due respect ma'am, this is a lot to process and I'd like to request permission to return to my quarters."

She nods quietly. "Granted." Without another word, Persephone storms out. "The rest of you can go as well if you wish."

We all snap a salute and soon fall out. The rest of us don't say another word as we make our ways back to our rooms. Persephone was heading down towards the gym but I decided not to follow her. She looks like she needs time to cool off.

I quickly remove my armor and lie down on my bed trying to collect my thoughts, but as soon as my head touches the pillow a million things race through my mind a mile a minute like a computer. Despite my best effort I can't seem to concentrate. Everything passes through and I soon find myself burying my head in my pillow and screaming into it to muffle my screams.

All this time of thinking about gods and monsters. Eventually, I give up and just close my eyes, trying to get some shut eyes and enter a dreamless sleep.

I wake up to the sound of something crashing against the wall. It like a few minutes pass I open them again and look check my mission clock. Well over two hours have passed. I quickly get to my feet and shake off what little sleepiness remains. The sound was coming from the room Persephone was using. As I shrug on my army jacket over my shirt.

I jog towards her door and see its partially cracked open. I push against the door and see Sam awkwardly sitting in a chair by the entrance. She has a flustered look on her face as if to say _help_.

And my sister was there too. Her fist was digging against the dent in the wall she undoubtedly caused. Persephone's knuckles shift around as tears flow freely from her eyes, streaking down her chin and dripping to the bed. She grits her teeth and punches the wall again, denting the wall once again.

"Persephone," I say quietly, raising my hands up in a neutral position.

"We've spent close to twenty years serving the UNSC." She says, her voice choking into a sob.

I know exactly where this is going but nothing I say could possibly dissuade her. "I know." Was all I can say in return along with a small nod.

"Twenty years." She says again and turns to me, her green eyes were puffy from crying. "All that time and they never told us of what were are, or who are goddamn parents are and what we can do!"

"Sis," I say gently, taking one step forward, then another until I was right beside her and place a hand on her shoulder. "There could be a reason why they didn't tell us about this-"

"And I could have saved him!" Persephone explodes like a volcano, venom practically dripping from her lips as the words leave her.

"Saved who?" Sam asks meekly, looking at Persephone curiously. She shifts around from foot to foot. This is the most scared I've seen her, under most circumstances I would find it pretty funny but now I'm nearly as scared as she is.

"Nathan!" Persephone shouts back and jumps to her feet. She pushes my hand aside and glares at her. "On the ship with the Covenant. I could have done something with these powers and helped him."

"You were on a ship." I remind her firmly. "Nowhere near the water at the time."

"I could have done something!" She insisted and stomped her foot. Slowly the anger begins to die out in her eyes and she turns away slowly. "Well, I guess we'll never know now." Her voice lowers to barely a whisper as she turns away. "I need to be alone now. Please leave guys."

Sam and I look at each other then nodded. "We understand." The two of us quickly leave double quick and shut the door behind us.

When we're outside the blonde sighs heavily. "Well, that could have gone better."

I patted her shoulder and smiled sadly. "My sister was always a stubborn one, but she's got a good heart. Just give her some time. Now let's get some training done while we're stuck here?"

Sam nods, feeling her lips perk slightly as we make our way downstairs to the training deck. There were a few other marines there sparring or in target practice but it was empty enough to give us some private space. We stand on opposite ends of a mat and raise our fists.

She grins and makes the first move, lunging forward and throws a few quick punches. I begin to backpedal slowly, jerking my head back and forth to avoid her fists until my hand shoots up like a viper and catches her fist mid-swing. She gasps in surprise as I grab her and throw her to the ground. "I win round 1," I smirk down at her.

The Spartan growls and suddenly her arm sweeps up and I find myself tumbling to the ground. As I fall her fist comes up and connects with my crotch. The air whooshes out of me as I stumble over in pain. "And that's round 2." She says in reply.

Grinding my teeth, I leap back up and were soon back at it, throwing punches and kicks at each other while the other dodges and blocks each attack only to return them. It was almost like a dance. I take another step back and let Sam advance before moving in again and sweeping my arm out broadly to try and knock her off balance. She flips back and throws two quick jabs at my bicep.

I pull it back, feeling it throb in pain just as she moves again, her fist snaking out and sinking right into my solar plexus. I drop to one knee, gasping out as I reach for her arm and pull her down with me.

Despite my effort, I let out a loud laugh. She joins in and soon rather than training we just lay on the ground and giggle at each other. After a few minutes, I begin to get to my feet and help her up as well. It was nice to just enjoy things for a change rather than always worry.

As Sam gets up she smiles evilly and suddenly hits me in the stomach. I croak in surprise but she merely grins in response. "I win."

Raising my hands in submission, I not and concede defeat. Another voice clears her throat at the end of the mat. When I look up I spot Annabeth standing there. I don't immediately recognize her. The spy was usually out on the field gathering information or fighting Covenant. When she was here she was normally training or resting. Often times I don't even see her around.

"A nice fight you guys." She says, her arms crossed as she watches us.

"Thanks," Sam says and takes a water bottle, chugging down its contents and handing it to me. I take a few sips and put it away. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to do a little training first before another scouting mission." She says, stretching her arms and rolling her shoulder. "For the next offensive."

"Offensive?" I ask curiously.

Annabeth smirks and nods her head. "You really think Athen would just sit here? She wants to take action now, either to find Commander Keyes or to fight back against those creatures that attacked her. The General says their spreading across the instillation like a virus and wants to cut them out before continuing her fight against the Covenant."

My heart beats a bit faster at the mention of that. Franklin was among them, maybe even the Commander herself along with the Marines who accompanied her. "What is she planning to do?"

"She plans to take the _Paris_ towards their location and begin launching air raids against them and maybe even drop a few missiles and MAC rounds. If there are any left she'll send a group of hunter-killer teams will finish them off. Meanwhile, Athena herself will lead the ground forces against the Covenant troops already on the surface."

I nod. It was a good plan all things considered. The General was famous for her skills in guerrilla warfare and could easily let the Covenant chase her tail. But she would lack air support or reinforcements. The _Paris_ had a few hundred crewmen at most and not all of them were Marines. Those thoughts still unsettle me. "Does she know what she's up against though? I've seen those creatures up close and what they can do. She needs to be careful when dealing with them."

Annabeth raises her hand to silence me. "Don't worry about it Percy, this isn't the first time we've dealt with the Flood."

"The Flood?" Sam says stepping beside me. She has a frown on her face at the mention of that name.

Suddenly the room seems a lot tenser as the ONI agent rubs the back of her neck and nods. "Uhh, Well yes. Back in the first Halo apparently the Marine forces there encountered a parasite just like this one. People started calling it the Flood."

"You knew about those things?" Sam asks pointedly, bristling slightly at this.

"Well, yes I did know about them, but I didn't know that they would be here. I believed that Master Chief wiped them out when he destroyed the first Halo ring."

"He didn't." Sam snaps angrily.

Annabeth suddenly looks at her much more cooly and frowns. "You best watch your tone soldier."

Sam didn't seem impressed and folds her arms. "You're not my commander, and for a Daughter of Wisdom that was a pretty stupid move by the way."

Athena's daughter's eyes widen as she quickly hushes her and moves forward. "Are you crazy bringing that up here? Nobody else is supposed to know!"

"Just like nobody else was supposed to know about the Flood?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Annabeth clenches her fist. When she looks up there was a fierce glare. "Do you mind leaving us for a second? I need to speak to your team leader."

She looks at me uncertainly, but I nod reassuringly to Sam. Reluctantly she begins to step back and leaves to the water fountain to refill her bottle. Once she's gone Annabeth takes a seat on the bench beside the mat and sighs. "So I guess my mother told you about us. Believe me, I didn't know the flood would be here."

I nod, but even that gesture feels stuff. How was ONI keeping and has kept from them? It was getting harder to tell with each day. I was about to open my mouth and say something when the ships suddenly tremble. "What was that?" I demand, looking around.

"Annabeth to bridge. What happened?" She shouts to her helmet radio and looks around at the other soldiers who were still reeling.

"Enemy ships ma'am," Voice replies. "Seraph and Banshee fighters, their strafing sides, autocannons are already being used for counter-attack."

Something else hits the ships but this time it was much more powerful. Before anyone can fully react the _Paris_ begins to tip over. I crouch down and try to maintain my center of gravity as everyone falls all around me. Soon even my feet start to slip and I tumble down along with everyone else. As the ship tilts almost 90 degrees I feel my head hit something and go dark.

* * *

"Percy!" Someone shouts behind me, though the voice is muffled and barely audible. I frown and feel my eyes creep open as the person speaking calls me again. This time a bit more frantic.

When I roll to my stomach I feel a dull pain course through the side of my head. Sam was crouching beside me, her shotgun in hand as she looks around.

"What happened?" I ask, trying to get up but nausea washes over me and prevents me from standing up. Sam frowns and shakes her head.

"We were hit that's what happened." She growls angrily. A group of marines was surrounding her, weapons in hand but more than a few lacking armor. Not too far behind them was the General and Annabeth who are trying to direct the troops."Paris was torn right in half and we're back on the Installations surface."

One of the Marines looks up at them questioningly. "How could that have happened? I thought this ship was designed for stealth purposes. We were hiding from the Covenant right?"

Athena raises a hand for silence. "Yes, this ship is made for stealth, but its still using technology inferior to that of our enemies. From a distance or when they're distracted then we can avoid detection with a problem, but up close like this they could find us with enough time."

"So what now?" Another soldier asks skeptically. "If they know we're here then what will we do? They'll pick us off."

Athena stepped forward in the middle of her troops. "We fight, I have no intention of dying on this ring and I doubt the rest of you. We still have our weapons and vehicles so why not launch a counterattack. They have ships that we can pilot back to Earth if we capture them. One of their cruisers should be enough. Whose with me?"

A few add their own voices in a cheer, but a vast majority don't seem particularly heartened. But none of them have any better ideas so they slowly nod their heads, keeping their weapons close to their chest. Athen begins to go about her plans as the doors to the training hall slide open. Vincent and Andrew enter, fully armed and armored as they make their way towards us. "We have a problem." Vincent whispers and gestures for me to follow. I look at Andrew who also nods grimly.

I decide to follow them and jog after them. He leads us down to the hanger below. The place was a mess, vehicles are scattered all around the place like a child's room. They were all pretty banged up but most seemed to be in working order. "Annabeth placed me in charge of taking inventory of our equipment. We seem to be missing a Warthog."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. This was the reason he called us here. Slowly I nod to him. "It could have easily just been sucked out of the ship when it was hit, or maybe destroyed."

"Funny thing about that, I also counted the vehicles after we crashed and only one is missing along with one crewman, your sister."

My heart leaps into my throat as I lean forward. "Where?"

He shrugs. "I don't know."

"When."

"At least an hour."

I resist the urge to scream in frustration but nod slowly. "Alright then," I say turning away and heading back upstairs. "I'll be right back and when I return we'll go after her."

"Where are you going?" Sam calls me.

"I'm going to get my armor," I reply and heading back to my quarters. Sam nods and joins me, to the hallways, heading towards her own room. I quickly put on my armor and collect my personal weapons. The whole process takes about fifteen minutes and I begin to head out, but when I turn around I see Annabeth standing by the doors.

"Going somewhere?" She asks, a tight frown on her face as she glances at me up and down. "You know you and your team are supposed to be reporting to hangar bay 2."

"My sister is missing, we're going to go look for her," I reply and try to move past her but she blocks my way. It was still surprising that she was able to get in here without me noticing. "We need to find her."

Annabeth frowns, the holster of her gun was unclipped but she makes no move to pull it out. "We need you, Percy, you and your Spartans here now more than ever with the offense going on."

I place my hands on her shoulder and grip them tightly. "Annabeth, my sister is out there somewhere and I need to find her. I already lost her once, I can't lose her again."

She still seemed hesitant, her hand drifting down to her gun. I stiffen and prepare to move if it comes down to it. Annabeth may be an ONI agent, but even her training won't be enough to stop me. It will only take one well-timed move to knock her gun away, after that I can easily knock her out and get going.

Thankfully it doesn't come to that as she slowly steps aside and nods. "Alright, I know I can't stop you. Goodluck Percy."

Nodding and not quite believing my luck, I nod and begin to move past her. As I exit the room, however, I sense her hand coming down on my back. At the last second, I whirl around and catch her fist in the air.

Her other hand came at my side in a karate chop. I dodge that one too and kick her shin. Annabeth hisses in pain and stumbles to the ground. "I'm sorry about this but you can't stop me." I strike her at the neck hard enough to knock her out before running off.

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

 _ **Flashback**_

" _ **Director, sir with all due respect-" I begin to speak but the officer in front of me raises his hand up for silence. He turns away from me for a moment and curls his finger towards himself. The Counselor approaches him and hands a data pad.**_

" _ **Agent Nevada you understand that we are fighting a war on two fronts here." He says, not glancing up from his device. "These Projects operatives have been highly successful in defeating the Insurrectionists in multiple operations but now we must turn our attention towards the greater threat. The Covenant."**_

 _ **I nod slowly. "I understand that sir, but why must I be transferred to another team, I work alone sir. I have for the past few years."**_

 _ **He doesn't reply and simply continues to read. The Counselor clears his throat. "Well, it's true that you have completed a number of missions on your own Agent Nevada. But your record shows that you have been part of a Spartan team before being transferred to Project Freelancer. Is this true?"**_

 _ **Slowly I ground my teeth together, but I try not to let my anger show in any other way. No point in agitating them further. "Yes, that is correct sir. I was indeed part of Fireteam Crusader."**_

 _ **The Director nods and sets the datapad down to look at me. "And that is exactly why you were chosen to join Noble team. You have experience in working with Spartans outside of our organization, something the other agents lack. So far we have managed to keep the Insurrectionists in check, now all soldier we can spare are being transferred to other units including you. Are there any questions?"**_

" _ **No sir," I say, trying to keep my voice down and now. "Permission to leave sir?"**_

" _ **Granted. Your Pelican will be here in a few days. You may use that time to pack your things and say goodbye to your cohorts."**_

 _ **I salute him stiffly and walk out of the door, feeling my anger seeth. As I pass one of the corridors a voice chuckles at my side. "So the old man sent you packing huh?" A snort follows this. "Typical once he gets tired of his toys."**_

 _ **CT appears from the shadows, her helmet gone to reveal her unbrushed auburn hair. Her expression softens when she sees me. "I'm sorry about it."**_

" _ **It's fine," I say dismissively.**_

" _ **I wish I was being transferred you know." She says, walking beside me and looking around.**_

 _ **I raise an eyebrow, though part of me just wanted to roll my eyes at that. "Oh really? But what about you and Wash?"**_

 _ **Now it was her turn to go silent, blushing wildly as she grunts and shakes her head. "Me and Wash, that's nothing. We're not a thing." She sputters in response and tries to clear her voice. Seeing her stutter was almost enough to cause me to smile. Almost.**_

 _ **Finally, she shakes her head and places a hand on my shoulder. "Listen, if you ever wanna leave I know a place you can go."**_

 _ **I stop walking and stare at the dark haired girl as she took several more steps before stopping as well and glancing over her shoulder at me. A small smile dances across her lips as she sees my hesitation. "Where?" I finally say to her.**_

"Come with me." She says, sounding pleased with herself as she gestures for me to follow her. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up, I shrug any nervous thoughts aside as I follow her. CT goes in the opposide direction that I was going and finally stops at her room. She opens the door and has me follow her in.

The place was dark, lit up only by the dark blue screen of her computer. Besides, it was her helmet which was connected to the computer with some wires. She sits down in front of her desk and has me sit on the bed. "What are we doing here?" I ask her but only receive silence as my reply. I spot a few chocolate bars in her drawer which was halfway closed. I open the drawer and myself to one. If she wasn't going to give me answers then she could miss a bar or two.

CT continues to type away on her keyboard until the light of her video camera powers up. A video feed appears on her desktop suddenly. I glimpse the tinted visor of an ODST, the helmet only a few inches from the screen. CT gives one quick glance in my direction before turning towards the soldier. The two of them to quietly for several minutes before helljumper clears his throat. "So CTs telling me that your being transferred to another unit?" Even from here I recognize the voice which confirms all my suspicions.

This was the same man I encountered in my first mission here. "Your an Insurrectionist," I say, reaching down for a sidearm that wasn't there.

The Freelancer glances at me and sighs as she notices my stiffness. Still, she doesn't make any move to try and stop me. "Yes, I am one of the resistance."

"Why did you bring me here?" I ask.

"Connie are you sure that this is a good idea?" The ODST asks cautiously as he bristles slightly at me.

"Because I thought you might listen to reason." Slowly, CT gets up from her chair and raises her hands to show she's unarmed.

"What reason is there for serving these terrorists?" I demand angrily, remembering my first mission as a Spartan where they murdered a crew of a freighter. "And give me one good reason why I shouldn't rat you out to the director."

My fellow Freelancer strides forward gracefully, a slight smirk playing on her face as if she already won the argument. "Because of Persephone, I know you don't like the UNSC either. You may fight for them, but you don't love them. I read your record, multiple counts of insubordination cause you didn't agree how they conducted the war. Well, there are other people fighting in it."

I bite my tongue and take a step back. It was a good point, a really good point in fact. But I didn't let my shock show as I glare at the Insurrectionist leader. "Well, that doesn't mean serving criminals like him is any better."

The ODST actually laughs at hearing this. He removes his helmet to reveal a black mohawk. "Hah? Criminals? Is that what the UNSC told you about us?"

I step forward, glaring at him defiantly, sitting down in the desk chair. "No, that's what I believe after seeing you murder people and taking their cargo. Epsilon Eridani System."

He scratches his chin thoughtfully. "Well you'll need to do a bit better than that, I've been in that system plenty of times, raiding ships true. But do you know what I and my men actually do with those supplies we take?"

The ODST takes a step back and lifts up the screen. He begins to walk out of the office, carrying screen out of the building to reveal a bustling town outside. A group of soldiers was unloading supplies from a ship. People were lining up in front of them as the men begin to hand them out.

" _ **During the early stages of the war, the UNSC deemed several colonies irrelevant and pulled their troops out in order to protect more valuable worlds." The ODST explains, gesturing around to the people. "The people there were basically left for dead until we found them. After that, the New Colonial Alliance was formed from the survivors here and watch out for each other."**_

" _ **Persephone," CT says quietly, her voice was strangely gentle as she places a hand on my shoulder.**_

 _ **I shake my head furiously. Part of her wants to do nothing more than deny it and believe it wasn't true. The UNSC and the Spartans duty were to Earth and her colonies. All of her colonies. But it wasn't stretch to think that they would do this.**_

" _ **Do you know why they chose kids like us to be Spartans?" CT asks quietly.**_

" _ **T-they wanted to give orphans a chance to get back to the Covenant," I reply, my lips trembling as the words come out.**_

 _ **She nods. "Well, yes that was one reason why. It certainly motivates soldiers when they have something personal against the enemy, but that's not the only reason. Drake showed me these."**_

 _ **CT typed something on her screen and documents started to flash up. "These are the orders given to recruiters for the Spartan-III programs. They were tasked with finding children, specifically orphans to become Spartans because they wanted children without families would look for them, the kid who could disappear without a trace without anyone raising an eyebrow."**_

" _ **Why?" I ask quietly.**_

" _ **Because that was there mistake the last time they got Spartans. They got children with families, replaced them with clones that later died. Although no one found out about the program a few people did notice a trend. A child disappears around the same time as seventy-four others, a little later they resurface but all seemingly die of unusual diseases whereas they were healthy before."**_

 _ **I feel my mouth go slack as I try to speak, but only a faint whimper comes out as I try to process all of this. Everything I know and fought for was for this? No, this had to be a lie, some Insurrectionist trick. But as I read the documents, it's clear that none of them are fake, these are solid UNSC orders.**_

" _ **How did you get this."**_

 _ **Drake lowers his head slowly, in his eyes I catch a glimmer of something. It almost looks like shame. "I used to work for ONI, I assisted in the original Spartan program as a trainer. Back then I told myself this was for the greater good if seventy-five children were asked for peace then fine."**_

" _ **So why did you leave?"**_

 _ **He sighs and sets the screen down, taking his seat in front of it. "That was before the Covenant came, I saw how pointless a few super soldiers can be when planets can be turned to glass without even needing to send soldiers on the ground. Then they proposed the Spartan-III program, where they wanted a million super soldiers fighting the Covenant. I couldn't do it. That was too big of an ask so I left service and joined the resistance. Eventually, ONI decided I knew too much and sent an assassin after me."**_

 _ **He nudges his head to CT who blushes slightly with a small smile. "I convinced her to join in. So what do you say?"**_

 _ **I look at the two of them, my mind running laps around my head as everything blurs together. "I'm not sure, t-this is a lot to process. I need to think about this."**_

 _ **Both of them look disappointed, but they nod regardless. CT slowly slips something into my hand and guides me out the door. "Take all the time you need, but remember, this meeting never happened as far as anyone knows."**_

 _ **I glance down and see a small communicator, barely bigger than my palm. I clench my fist and head to my room, trying to banish those thoughts of what just happened away from my mind, but no such thing happens.**_

* * *

My Warthog bounces around the rough bumps in the narrow path as I cut my way towards the forest. One hand was always ready with my gun as the noises around me continue to increase. I already barely managed to get out of captivity once, it wasn't something I want to try again especially since all the Elites are gone.

I feel the number of eyes watching me as I drive by steadily increasing, but whoever it is, whether it be Elite or Brute is beyond me as they remain hidden behind the trees. Though the bigger mystery is why they aren't shooting at me.

The sky above was dominated by the shape of a Covenant Battlecruiser, presumably the same one that shot down the _Paris_. Oddly enough, it doesn't make any more moves to finish off the survivors. All it takes from a ship of that size was one blow from its energy projector to completely vaporize anyone unfortunate enough to get caught in its beam, yet nothing happens.

The gravity lift remains active as patrols of Brutes continue to come and go. By now they seem to have found their loyal allies as they are joined by Grunts and Jackals, even the occasional Hunter pair.

I hit the gas pedal and continue to drive forward through the forest. I don't really know where I'm heading except that it's away from the UNSC and the Covenant. In the distance, I hear the sound of gunfire from local skirmishing. Looks like Athena is still going through with her offensive after all.

An old part of me wants to turn around and help the marines there, but I steel my heart and continue to drive away. This isn't my fight anymore, if they wanna slaughter each other like this then that's not my problem. An explosion from a strafing run of a Banshee squadron causes me to glance back momentarily. I privately hope that Athena was in there and is destroyed by the blast. But I shake my head at that foolish notion.

If she really was what she says she is them even that shouldn't be enough to kill her. A shame.

The electric sizzle of plasma being discharged knocks me out of my reverie. A green bolt the size of an apple comes whizzing out of the trees all of a sudden. I twist the wheel around as it flies towards me, trying to swerve out of the way but the bolt manages to graze its side.

A shock goes through the vehicle as it suddenly stops dead in its tracks mid swerve and nearly knocks me over as my body slams against the side. Pain lances through my body as I try to hit the pedal again but nothing happens. The jeep nearly topples over as it screeches to a halt. Before any more shots come out of the forest I leap to the back of the Warthog and swivel the LAAG around, firing in the general direction the plasma bolt came from.

Plasma fire bursts out from the trees around me as I continue to lay down covering fire. But all the shots go wide and instead only hit the ground in front of me before stopping without warning. I realize that they were warning shots. Reluctantly, I release my grip on the triggers and take a step back. Nothing else happens for a few tense moments as the sounds of rustling leaves goes all around me.

I release my battle rifle from its magnetic clamp and ready myself for a fight. "Peace human." A voice shouts suddenly to my side. I spin in that direction, keeping my rifle ready as I turn to face it. An Elite warrior in crimson armor appears from the foliage with his hands over his head as a gesture of peace.

Around me, more warriors begin to appear, including a number of Grunts. There are ten of them in all, forming a circle around me but making no move to attack. Finally, the crimson warrior lowers his arms and looks at me cautiously. "I saw you before, back on the ship with Zur. He let you out."

I nod stiffly, lowering my rifle to a neutral position. "Yes, he did."

"I assumed you had fled by now, away from the rings."

"I liked the scenery here."

The warrior chuckles, slowly at first but quickly gets laughter. The other warriors chortle as well and seem more at ease. "Well, why are you not with your humans at least?"

My lip curls up in annoyance. "We're not speaking right now. What are you doing here now after you left?"

He clicks his mandibles together impatiently. Seeing that there doesn't appear to be any threat, they lower their weapons and begins to disperse back into the forest. "My troops are watching the road for any Brutes who happen to stumble here."

"And Zur?" I ask, folding my arms. I don't particularly care about the answer, I'm really just making small talk.

His eyes gleam as he responds. "He is gathering our warriors. The Commander plans to launch a raid to recapture the Cruiser from the Brutes." The other warriors cheer and add their voices to the call.

"And how's that going?" I ask idly.

This seems to deflate the Majors enthusiasm, but not by much. "Slow, not many warriors are around to retake the ship so gathering the necessary force will take time."

"I can help," I say, before really even realizing what I mean.

"You?" The other aliens turn to me, curious but more than a little suspicious. The Major cranes his neck back at them and gestures for them to keep moving. "Why would you wish to help us demon?"

I decided to just go with it and shrug. "I don't really have anywhere else to go now. Like I said, I and my people aren't on the best of terms right now."

He grabs his two lower mandibles and strokes them thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose we could use your help. Very well demon, we will take you to our camp and have Zur decide if you will join us."

"Thanks," I say, following him as the warrior turns without another word and continues to head through the forest. My Warthog drives behind him as the Major leaves the rest of the group behind to watch their post, moving slowly to keep pace with him. I don't know where they're going but I do my best to make mental note of the path we go through until we reach the mountainside.

A few figures appear out of the caves, waving their arms and weapons at him. As we get closer I see that they're Jackals carrying beam rifles. One of them hisses loudly at the Elite who growls something in return. The buzzard headed alien nods and quickly runs off into the cave. "He says to follow him."

I catch a glimpse of more snipers hiding out in the rocks as we go in after him. Inside, the place was now a military camp, with weapons and supply crates were stacked up on the side. Dozens of Elites, Grunts and other aliens walk around the hall, all stopping to give me curious looks as we pass. There are even a few vehicles arranged in neat rows, mostly Ghosts and Banshees, but also with a couple Spectres, Wraiths, and Phantoms.

Zur was there, leaning on the Phantoms bay as he directs a dropships crew around. "Commander." The Major shouts in greeting, snapping a salute.

He leaps from the troop bay and salutes to him in return. His orange eyes widen briefly in surprise when he sees me. "Demon? What are you doing here? Where are your people?"

"I'm alone Commander," I say stiffly. It wasn't that long ago that he captured me and took me aboard the ship in the first place. "Your soldier said you needed help retaking your ship back."

Zur's mandibles part, looking almost pleased. "And you will help us?"

I just shrug, rolling my shoulders. "I suppose I don't have anywhere else to go. So I'm in." I extend my arm out to him.

The Commander takes my hand and clasps it tightly. "Thank you."


	26. Chapter 26

**Percy's POV  
**  
"Percy we've been waiting here for the past hour," Sam complains as she was sitting on the gunner's chair of a Wraith tank, her legs lifted up and resting on the gun, causing it to idly swivel around. She yawns and runs a rag across her knife for the twentieth time this hour.

I roll my eyes and climb up next to her. "Well, no one said you have to stay," I reply and pat her on the cheek.

She makes a face at me and outs her legs down, causing the turret to nearly smacking me across the face. She giggles and didn't bother apologizing as I barely dodge it. "Come on, you know I can never leave you alone." Sam slowly leans in towards me, smirking as I feel her warm breath gently brushing off against my face.

The blonde haired girl continues to go closer until we were only an inch apart. A small smile pays across her lips as she looks at me. I frown slightly under my helmet as I look back at her. "Are you sure about this?"

Her smile suddenly turns into a deep frown. "I'm not sure about a lot of the things that are happening now." Sam admits, though doesn't pull away. She moves her hand around to gesture towards the hangar, but moves it in between us. I feel an icy sensation brewing in the back of my spine as she says this. "But right now this is one thing I am sure of."

The ice in my back melts and I nod slowly. The joy returns to her face as she pulls my helmet off with a soft snap then presses her lips against mine. The heat radiating from her rosy lips pushes me onwards as I return the effort. Everything else begins to fade away, the only thing I can see now are her blue orbs which slowly shuts as she pushes more effort into what she's doing.

"Ships!" Someone suddenly calls out, knocking the two of us back to reality.

One of the Elite warriors walks past the Wraith as if we were invisible, (which I'm grateful for) and points out the hangar. Several others from the flight crew join him and look at the new arrivals. I move to my feet and leap off the tank. Sam was a little disappointed but even she understands the importance of this and joins me a second later.

There is half a dozen of them in all, all too far away to make out but nome is shooting at us which is a good sign. "Commander, are you detecting these ships from the bridge?" One of the pilots asks.

"Yes warrior, they appear to be human ships and seem friendly. Make preparations for their arrivals." R'tas Vadum replies from the communicator.

The rest of us quickly disperse, moving aside things that might get in the way of the landing, crates, weapons and other vehicles. By the time we finish, the pilots radio beeps again. "Strange, I do not appear to get any response from their crew. Do you have any communication with them humans?"

I check my comms and shake my head. "Negative."

"Then something is wrong." He confirms.

"Its too late!" A warrior shouts as one of the ships picks up speed and begins to double its speed towards the hangar. Now I can see that they are all Pelicans, battered and damaged. But before I can properly react, one of the warriors suddenly pushes me out of the way as the dropship comes crashing in.

The next thing I know, I'm on the ground with the Elite Minor crouching in front of me and barking something as he fires his plasma rifle. I quickly get to my feet and rub my head. "Whats going on?" I ask to him.

"We have been deceived human! Your people are not onboard those ships." The warrior roars and fires onto the cockpit. The glass shatters and something leaps out. It's all tentacles and mutilated limbs. "The flood!"

The creatures resembles one of this disfigured humans my team encountered before. This one charges at us with a pistol in its hands. The puny weapon doesn't do a thing against the warriors thick armor and simply splashes against his shield.

When the creature draws close, the Minor backhands it to the side with the butt of his rifle and fires at it as the creature careens back. With a moment to breath, he helps me look for a weapon and soon kicks a plasma repeater to my side.

I pick the weapon up and examine it. It resembles an elongated, larger plasma rifle. I hold it with both hands as the two of us take out the co-pilot who was struggling under a chair that was thrown off its bolts.

The rest of the hangar was now abuzz with action. The rest of the crew there frantically scrambles back as the rest of the ships crash in, one even managing to knock a Spirit dropship from its docking clamps. More flood forms emerge from the troop bay and begin to swarm us. Most of the Elites present are pilots or flight crew who don't have any armor and are only carrying sidearms. The only real support we have are the handful Grunts and Jackals on the second floor who try and pick off the advancing flood.

I spot Sam taking cover behind some munitions crates along with some of the flight crew who returns fire with their needlers against the advancing monsters. A hulking one with the same physique of Brute barrels forward ahead of the pack on all fours. Sam steps out of cover and hurls her combat knife. The blade sinks hilt deep into its skull before the monster collapses onto the ground.

"Cover me," I say to the Minor before leaping out of cover, firing my plasma gun straight into the back. I move to the thickest parts of the fight, unlike the rest of the crew I can at least count on my armor to protect me.

One flood form suddenly leaps up behind me and knocks me back. It opens its mouth to utter an unearthly shriek as it squats down in front of me. Before it can finish the job however, a grenade sends it flying back. Sam walks up to me, somehow with a Brute shot in her hands. She offers her hand out and helps me to my feet before adding a fresh belt of grenades to her newly acquired weapon.

The fight wasn't going too well and rest of the Elites are being pushed back to the very edges of the hangar as dozens of flood forms advanced. "Did you call for help?" I ask and begin burning a way towards them with my gun.

"One of the warriors did." Sam replies and helps me, taking out some of the bigger ones. We soon find ourselves back with a small group of pilots. The Minor who was with me isn't among them. I spot him charging daringly into a mass of monsters as he fires his plasma rifle.

The doors beside me open suddenly and Andrew walks out with a flamethrower in his hands, flanked by half a dozen black armored Elites. They let out a fierce battle cry and leap into the fray with plasma rifles and energy swords. Quickly the battle begins to turn back to our side as the Elite warriors easily cut a path through the flood.

Andrew unleashes a pillar of fire that cuts swaths through the entire army, causing the small squid-like ones to pop in quick succession. The remaining crew cheer their comrades on and are happy to just provide supporting fire and throwing grenades at small groups of them. Before anyone realizes it, the last of the monsters are dead.

Rtas 'Vadum, who I didn't even realize was here with us deactivates his sword and looks around grimly the hangar deck as the crews quickly begin to try and contain the mess. "What are these things?" I ask and feel my plasma repeater beginning to recycle its excess plasma.

"They are called the Flood." He closes his eyes. "And they are not to be underestimated."

Sam and Andrew soon join us as I nod my head slowly. "I agree."

"But that still raises the question. Where are your human allies?" R'tas asks quietly as he orders teams of Grunts to begin sweeping the hangar deck of the bodies as well as checking for any surviving flood forms that might be hiding. The rest of my team joins us.

I shrug and sling my weapon over my back and crouch down, running my hand across one of the infected humans whose stomach was blown open. My nose wrinkles in disgust as I see the puss dripping from its body. "What exactly are these things anyway?"

The commander sighs and bends down until we're at eye level. "These creatures are called the Flood. My people do not know where they come from, some say that they are failed experiment of the Forerunners, a few claim that they are what destroyed their civilization but we do know for sure what they are, we only know that they are the only foe we truly fear."

I nod slowly, feeling an icy chill beginning to creep up my chest. If something was enough to scare Elites like R'tas 'Vadum then we were in serious trouble. "Those small ones," he says picking up one of the remains of a tattered infection form that was hit by Sam's buckshot. "Are called Infection Forms, they are used to spread the Floods plague to new hosts and absorbs them to their army."

He leans in closer and his intense orange eyes burn into me. "Once someone is infected, there is no going back."

I nod again. The commander seems satisfied with that and moves back again. "Those bloated creatures that pop and spread Infection Forms are called Carrier forms, they act as suicide bombers for the Flood. They explode up close and cause Infection Forms to fly against the people."

"And these," He gestures to the human I was inspecting. "These are called Combat Forms, they are the main foot soldiers of the flood and most of the infected turn into this."

"Most?" I raise an eyebrow and stare at the creature.

"Those deemed too weak by the flood to be infected, Unggoy, King-Yar, and Yanme'e do not become Infection Forms after they are killed. Most of the time the Flood simply ignores it or convert them into the Carrier Forms. We believe that they are deemed too weak to be properly converted. So far that is all we know."

Finally, I get up and offer my hand. I know that it must be a big deal for him to share intel like this. "Thank you for doing this Commander. I'll make sure your knowledge is put to good use."

He nods as well and clasps my hand into his, dwarfing mine easily and shakes it. "You are welcome human."

R'tas Vadum looks at his communicator and presses his mandibles together in surprise. He raises it to his voice and growls. "Speak."

"More ships are arriving." Someone on the bridge replies quickly. Everyone bristles and reaches for their weapons, after the last encounter with arriving ships no one was making any chances. "Our weapons are ready just in case but they appear nonhostile. They are trying to raise us."

"Put them through, I will be there shortly." He quickly excuses himself and began to head back to the bridge.

Sam frowns and begins to lead us to the side of the hangar. She looks through the energy field that separates us from the open sky and points out at the sky. "Wait, I think I can see something."

I look around to where she's pointing at and see a trio of Pelican in the distance, just as battered and damaged as the others. However, none of them seem as aggressive as they simply hover in the air, waiting for orders.

In a few minutes, they begin to move forward, maintaining a steady speed as they enter the hanger. The other Elites and Grunts move forward towards the troop bay with their weapons ready and pointed at it just in case.

The bay suddenly opens and the warriors prepare themselves as the first human appears. It was Athena. She raises her hands up to show she's unarmed. The aliens slowly relax and lower their weapons. Marines slowly begin to walk out and join her as she walks down.

Persephone was with her and stands beside her alongside the other Elites who accompanied her. She smiles when she gestures a smile and detaches herself from her group and makes her way towards us. Vincent was also with her, his head held high as he makes his way down with them.

"Greetings." One warrior says and steps forward, raising his hand in greeting. "I am speaking for Commander Rtas 'Vadum and I welcome you to our ship."

The General nods salutes, she glances around and looks at Persephone as she leaves. "Thank you, now I take it that means you will be the one who I negotiate with about this truce that your people are bringing up."

"He will meet you on the bridge." The warrior assures him and begins to make his way up to the ship. "I'll take you up there."

Athena nods and gestures for two marines to follow her as she begins to follow after her down the hallways. The rest of the marines stay around the hangar as the warriors help unload supplies.

"Welcome back sis," I say to her and nod.

"Come on Percy drop the act." Sam leans to my shoulder and nudges me not too gently. I roll my eyes and walked forward just as she opens her arms and hugs me tightly. I slowly return the gestures as Sam giggles and makes a daw sound. Even Andrew shakes his head in disbelief, though not without an air of happiness.

We stay like that for a couple of seconds while someone clears his throat behind me. "Sir." A too familiar voice says coldly.

The two of us break up our hug and I feel my good spirits vanish. "Vincent, good to see you."

He doesn't bother to reply and simply folds his arms and walks away, muttering something to himself. Sam sneers at him and turns back to us. "How the hell did we put up for him so long?"

I shrug and relax slightly as I smile at Persephone. "Is this everyone?" I ask, looking around at the Pelicans. There were hundreds of crewmen on the ship before it was destroyed, could this be all of the survivors left?

"A convoy will be arriving soon enough with the other survivors." My sister assures me. "Now come on, I wanna to see what's going on with the peace talks."

"Why?" Andrew yawns and rolls his shoulders lazily. "It's just one of those boring negotiations."

Persephone looks offended and shakes her head. "This could be history in the making guys. The first time peace could be established with another alien race."

I chuckle dryly and want to tell her otherwise. This is an alliance of convenience, nothing more. Sure Rtas and his men helped them, but that was only because we had a greater enemy in the Flood and the rest of the Covenant. Instead I simply smile and nod as she pouts at me. "You go ahead."

"Fine. I will." She turns at her heel and walks off.

* * *

 **Persephone's POV**

"How many ships do you have Councilor 'Modum?" Athena asks, sitting on the opposite side of the table of the Elite Councilor who was nodding his head thoughtfully. Athena was flanked by two marines who have their rifles ready while the Councilor had two Honor Guards.

"One Battlecruiser, and four light Cruisers arriving soon enough." He replies simply and leans forward.

The General didn't seem too impressed with this and nods. "May I ask how you plan on taking the rest of the rest of the Brute fleet?"

'Modin gestures towards R'tas Vadum. "My commander will take over several more ships and bring them back into the fold while calling the rest of the divided fleet back under unified control." He leans forward and looks at Athena coldly. "But the issue is not about my war strategy, but what to do with you?"

She raises her hand up dismissively. "You need not worry about us Councilor, just follow through on your promise and we'll be on our way."

"But you will put in good word for my people?" The Councilor insists and raps the table with a long claw. "Will you show them the need for a ceasefire between our people."

"I will do what I can." The General assures him. "But I cannot make any promises, your people are not well liked by mine."

Councilor 'Modun chuckles somberly and relaxes his shoulders. "Indeed, I suppose I cannot say I blame them for it. I take you for trying regardless."

The two of them finish discussing smaller details and follow up by wrapping up the negotiations. The two end with shaking their hands and going their separate ways, Athena returning to the hangar and the Councilor heading back to his chair on the bridge.

"Commander." He says to Rtas.

The white armored warrior salutes and stands up straighter. "I need you to take your Spec Ops warriors to begin retaking the Fleet of Retribution. I have heard reports that the Fleetmaster has been killed and that they are under attack by Brute forces. I hereby promote you to Fleetmaster and place you in charge of the fleet."

He seems a bit surprised, but nods slowly and bows his head. "It shall be done then Councilor. I shall leave by nightfall."

After that I begin to drift away back to the hallway. "Demon, stop." Zur's voice suddenly calls me back and I see the warrior jogging up to me. He takes a moment to catch his breath before placing a hand on my shoulder. "I have something for you."

He steers me away towards a different direction. I don't really have much choice and decide to join him. The two of us make our way towards the armory where the weapons master nods to the officer who returns the gesture.

The big warrior steps aside and lets us through. The place was a mess, ransacked and most of the weapons were taken or thrown to the ground. A couple of Grunts were cleaning up, placing weapons back on the shelves or in boxes. They quickly back away when they see us.

Zur makes his way around the armory, looking for something until he pulls something out. He holds up a box and reveals a small container. "We recovered these from you during an encounter."

He hands it to me with both hands. I'm surprised by the weight of it and nearly drop the container on him once I place my hands on it. Slowly I begin to pull out the top. I comes off easily revealing a mechanism similar to their energy swords, except this one is thicker and longer, and there's something suspended inside.

My voice catches in my throat as I see what is inside. "No." I breathe out softly and shake my head in disbelief. "This can't be."

The warrior nods his head in confirmation. "It is a demon, you left these blades when we first met on this ship. They are rightfully yours and I wish to return them to you."

As I grasp the hilt, memories begin to flood into my mind. Simpler, happier times when all that mattered was fighting the Covenant when I could still look at my service in the UNSC and say I'm doing the right thing. When Nathan was still alive.

Quickly, I pull my hand away and look at him. "I can't take this."

Even though I don't elaborate anymore, his eyes gleam with understanding. "You are thinking about your friend." It wasn't said as a question, but a fact. Like he already knows the truth and just needs to hear it from my mouth.

Wordlessly, I nod my head miserably.

He places his hand around my shoulder, it was almost sympathetic as he gives it a small squeeze. "That was a more violent time, for both of our races. We shed blood and lost love ones. I do not offer these weapons back because I can return your friend to you, but I can offer you them so you may honor his memory." He picks up one of the blades and holds it in his hands. "Let his spirit fight on through these blades, I'm sure he would have wanted that."

Slowly, I reach for the sword and grasp it by the hilt. The weapon feels so familiar in my hand, but at the same time so alien. I hold the blades on both my hands and give it a few practice swings to get a feel of them. They are just as balanced and well made as before. A smile forms on my lips as I clip them to my belt.

Then I look up at my former captor turned savior. He watches a few steps behind me with a solemn expression, though I see the approval shining in his eyes, like a father seeing his child ride their bike for the first time. "Thank you," I say, trying to keep my voice from trembling as I hold up the weapons.

"It is my honor demon." Was all he says in reply and gives me a small bow.

With that, I excuse myself and begin to walk away. _Let his spirit fight on through these blades._ That thought continues to drive me forward as I make my way to my quarters. It's larger than the one on the _Paris_ , but just as equally sparse. They few things that I do own are neatly left inside one small duffel bag that is sitting on my bed.

Slowly I begin to remove everything inside, weapons, gear, extra provisions, and extra clothes; a spare body suit that goes underneath my armor and a casual outfit consisting of khaki shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. But none of that stuff was what I was looking for.

Once all of that stuff was out, I begin to slowly run my hand across the bag, feeling for a small tear at the bottom. I push my fingers inside it, feeling them wrap around something hard and withdraw it from its tiny hiding spot.

I look down at the communication device CT gave me. By now it was already several years since we last saw each other. Was she even still alive now? I heard several times in passing about a rogue Freelancer but I was never sure if that was her.

My hands tremble as my finger moves towards the power button of the device. I continue to hesitate as I look around, wondering if this was really something I can do. _Let his spirit fight on through these blades._ Steeling myself, I press the button.

A small gasp forms on my throat as I see the small screen light up bright blue as it begins to power up. I nearly drop it and look around, quickly pressing my ear against the door to see if anyone else was there before locking the door.

By the time I finish the device was booted up and a screen appears, it's just a simple keyboard with a series of numbers and letters. On top were the words, "please insert your coordinates"

I rack my minds to get a handle on where we are, the location of where we are, what's nearby and what Athena said of where to leave them. The Councilor and Rtas planned to leave them back at the nearest human territories. Then I slowly begin to type it down towards the nearest planet that we're going to.

* * *

"Is this the world you speak off?" Councilor 'Modun turns to Athena, gesturing towards the planet becoming visible from the shipboard cameras. A dusty brown sphere appears, from what I can see there's little development or infrastructure there leaving it mostly barren save for a few scattered settlements.

Athena nods her head slowly, without saying a word. None of the warriors bother to bring up the fact that the place is virtually deserted. "Shall we drop you off or must we wait for your fleet to arrive?"

"The ships should be arriving soon enough, maybe within a few minutes." She replies and gets up slowly. "Afterwards we will leave the planet's surface."

Xena 'Modun nods, seeing no real reason to say otherwise. He simply shrugs his big shoulders and sits back down in his command chair. The General steps back and nods quietly, at her side was Annabeth and Vincent along with several other Marines.

"There are several ships approaching. Seven signatures of varying classes." Officer reports and looks up from his console. He leans into it and looks again. "One Carrier-class and the others Frigate or Destroyer class."

The Councilor tenses, I don't really blame him, this was an unusually large fleet for a rescue mission. "Are they human or Covenant ships?"

"Judging by their slipspace signatures they appear to be human ships." The officer replies and taps at his console. "And they are leaving slipspace now as we speak."

He nods his head and swallows a deep breath. "Tell the other ships to hold position and await further instructions." Their small battle group has grown since we left the Halo rings. Apparently the situation stabilized enough for Rtas 'Vadum to send over two additional Battlecruisers as reinforcements. "Make contact with the human fleet and tell them that we are not here to fight."

The warrior nods and begins to activate the ship's holoprojector, it was still fuzzy colors as the other side didn't respond yet. We wait around patiently, but before we can respond, a tremor goes all over the ship causing everyone to stumble around.

Another one soon follows and the councilor nearly topples over me. "Stop the ship!" He roars and pulls himself back up onto his feet. "What was that!"

"A space mine." The Operations officer reports and unsteadily gets up. "Several were detonated and we're reporting damages on several sections."

"Councilor, the human ships are opening fire." Another Sangheili says, pointing at the cameras. All ships suddenly fire their MAC guns at once, the rounds cutting through space like shooting stars and hurtling pass us.

'

"Brace for impact!" He whirls around to face Athena. "What is the meaning of this human?" He demands.

Suddenly the General has her pistol out while her fellow soldiers keep their guns pointed at the rest of the bridge crew. None of the Elites move, all tense and glaring at us as they all have their guns halfway out of their belts. "Don't move."


	27. Chapter 27

**Percy's POV**

"What is the meaning of this!" Xena 'Modun roars loudly and looks at the marines surrounding him. They advance a step and level their assault rifles, though they keep far enough to remain out of range from his energy sword. All the while explosions continue to sound all around us.

Athena casually walks forward and pulls her pistol out, keep it ready. "We're taking over this ship Councilor." She replies calmly and orders her marines to fan out and surround the bridge crew. "Now I suggest you cooperate."

Vincent growled and appeared at his Generals side. The two of them share a look and the Goddess nods. "Spartans, you have one more chance to prove your loyalty." He points at the Elites. "Capture them and your previous crimes will be forgiven."

The rest of us freeze as time seems to suddenly slow down in the bridge. I look over each of my teammates, seeing them tighten the grip of their weapons as they hear this. But aside from that none of them move.

Persephone was only who reacts beyond that. She growls softly and clenches her jaw. Slowly, my sister shakes her head and hoovers one finger over her gauntlet.

I nod softly in agreement as I turn to Vincent. "Screw you," I say softly, pointing my gun at him as my sister vanishes into thin air.

He sighs softly, before leaping to the side and firing three bullets from his gun in quick succession. The marksman hurries down the bridge as the rest of the crew join in the fire fight, pulling their weapons out to fight the marines. Sam and Andrew leap downwards to help the bridge crew.

The two marines and Athena prepare to fire on the councilor, but one of them suddenly gasps as something shoves him aside and sends him tumbling down the stairs. Xena 'Modun makes his move and swings his sword at the surviving guard, struggling against blows of Athena's gun.

He picks up the marine and throws him towards another soldier who was firing at one of the bridge crews. The Councilor pulls out his plasma rifle and open fires at the General, forcing her to take cover behind the table.

Persephone joins the rest of the fireteam below and tackles Vincent to the ground just as he finishes off one of the guards. The two start to square off as Persephone forces him back with a flurry of blows.

Annabeth reaches for her pistol and takes aim at my sister's back. I leap forward and slam my hand against hers, pinning it on the hollow table and forcing her to drop her gun. I throw another punch right on her face.

She quickly rolls to her feet and looks at me, briefly in shock but quickly into anger as she pulls out her backup gun and fires again. I leap to the side and activate my bubble shield.

Annabeth advances closer, her weapon ready but she doesn't attack. Instead, she reaches for something in her jacket pocket and slides it towards my shield. The slow-moving cube easily enters through my bubble shield without much problem and electricity suddenly fizzle all around it.

I back away as my shield shorts out all around me. Before I react, another shot hits my side and a small shock jolts throughout my body. I curse under my breath as I remember those special rounds that Vincent used against us.

Taking a step back, I switch my gun to my other hand and prepare to defend myself when a sudden explosion rocks the ship and causes Annabeth to stumble back. Taking this opportunity, I give her a roundhouse kick and sends her flying back.

I rush over to look for Persephone. She is still fighting against Vincent, jerking her body back to avoid his rifle fire. Sam and Andrew were beating up some of the marines, the former glancing back and throwing a knife in Persephone's direction. She catches the blade hilt first and begin to slash it in her enemy's direction.

This now forces the marksman to back away. Persephone closes her eyes and tries to focus, her expression clenching up and suddenly a soldier's water bottle that a marine had strapped to his belt explodes. The water shoots out like an arrow and flies all around the bridge. Each soldier it hits sends them flying back and stumbling onto the ground.

Those who see it, Elite and human alike briefly stop fighting and simply stare in surprise at this sight. The only one who seems to fail to notice is Xena 'Modun who's too busy in a firefight with General Athena to really pay attention.

Vincent was the only one who avoids it and narrowly sidesteps. "General!" He calls out and backs away to her side. All around them the marines were being beaten back, all captured or killed. The water suddenly arcs back at him and crashes over his head.

General Athena closes her eyes and growls. She fires at us a few times to keep us back before beginning to rise off the ground. The Councilor takes this as his chance to attack and begins to rain plasma fire down on him, but even those simply bounce off of her as if they were rubber instead of plasma.

"Annabeth get on." She shouts angrily and waves her arms about, it sends a shockwave throughout the bridge, nearly knocking out all of the Elites and sending me to my knees. Annabeth quickly leaps onto her side and grabs her mother's arm as she begins to shine brightly.

Sam advances at them, firing her shotgun mercilessly at Athena. None of her attacks even scratch her but the flak is enough to knock Annabeth off. She screams and reaches out for her mother just as she vanishes in an explosion of golden light. Persephone's water bolt narrowly misses them and splashes against the bulkhead and quickly boils away.

Xena runs over to the ship's computers and inspects it while the rest of his soldiers mop up the remaining marines, capturing or killing them. When it's all over some of the Spec Ops Elites escort them away to the brig.

"This is Xena 'Modun to the rest of the fleet, withdraw your ships away from the fight towards the planet's surface." The Councilor sighs and slams his fist against the computer. He turns to us and stares at my team uncertainly. "Your ships have crippled my fleet. One Battlecruiser and two Light Cruisers gone, nearly half of my fleet."

"I'm sorry for your loss Councilor but as you can plainly see," I reply, gesturing around to the remains of the fight. "I and my team aren't part of this operation."

He nods reluctantly, seeing the evidence stacked against him. "Indeed. How far are we from the battle?"

"We are out of range from their weapons and are now breaking into the planet's atmosphere." A red-armored Elite explains as he fixes an overturned chair and sits down on it.

The rest of my team appears from the lower parts of the bridge and all their eyes are on Persephone who looks rather self-conscious about it all. "How did you do that thing with the water?" I ask bluntly, not wasting any time with words.

She shrugs. "I'm not sure, I remembered Athena saying that we're Children of Poseidon so I guess I just felt it."

"Felt what?"

"The water. I felt it in that guy's canteen and it just pushed towards me, as if it was some lost part of my body." My sister explains and sits down on the holotable. "I-Its hard to explain guys."

I pat her on the shoulder reassuringly and nod. "It's alright, I think this kind of thing is new to all of us."

My two remaining teammates look at their own hands, seeming to wonder if they can do similar things as well. "Maybe you could teach the rest of us how to do that shit." Sam says and thrusts her hand out as if expecting fire to shoot out.

"Maybe." She says softly and continues to look at his hand.

"You're not going anywhere." A hand shoots forward and grabs Sam's arm. Before she can scream it drags her back and Vincent appears behind her, a knife in his hand and now pressing against her throat. "None of you are."

He looks at each one of us, his eyes wide and desperate as he tightens his grip on her. The rest of us move forward and raise our weapons.

"Try it." He dares and hooks another hand around Sam's shoulder to keep her from moving. As quick as lightning, his eyes go wide and his arms release Sam limply. Zur appears behind him, his energy sword still sticking out of Vincent's back.

He quickly pulls it out and watches Vincent's limp body drop onto the ground. He bows his head softly. "I'm sorry for your comrade." He says.

I look at his body, feeling oddly empty and without remorse as I look at his broken body. Slowly, I look away. "It's not your fault, it had to happen."

The Elite places his hand on my shoulder and nods his head. "Indeed," He glances at the screen and sees his ships speeding away from the battle, the hulls beginning to redden and heat up as we entered the atmosphere. "You had best get rest while we plan our next move."

* * *

"How does it feel?" I ask, sitting on the bed, staring at my sister intently as she places a small basin of water in front of me. Her fingers slip and a few droplets splatter on the sheets.

Persephone climbs into bed in front of me, careful not to let the water spill and sits. "I don't really know how to explain it, but it feels right as if it was something I was born to do and something I was doing all my life."

I nod slowly and close my eyes, trying to will the water back up from the sheets, but after almost a minute of tight clenching, nothing happens. I sigh and lower my hand, but Persephone smiles slightly and shakes her head. "You need to focus on the water, the picture that alone in your head and will it to move."

She takes a deep breath and relaxes her shoulders. After a few seconds, the water begins to stir, drops let's shake and begin to move up into the air. Suddenly three droplets are hovering above my head, shaking and nearly collapses but soon stabilizes. They merge together into a single big droplet and falls into the basin.

"Still, when I can do this kind of thing it will be pretty cool." I smile and try to move one of the droplets Persephone forgot to move. It begins to lift up slowly, leaving the sheets and manages to rise a few inches from the air before breaking apart again.

She chuckles and shakes her head. "Still, a bit of practice will do us some good."

"Hey just you wait," I say, poking my finger into her stomach. "Before you know I can summon a tidal wave. And besides I can still beat you in a good old-fashioned fight." I reinforce that point and give her a few playful punches at her shoulder.

"Ya, ya." She rolls her eyes and blocks a few of them. Persephone looks beyond towards the walls and sighs. "So what will happen now?"

"We fight I guess," I reply.

"I mean how." She says. "I mean we can't beat them alone."

Slowly I nod. "I know that," I lower my head, but quickly looks up and try to sound reassuring. "we'll think of something."

Suddenly quiet, Persephone bites her lip. I frown. "Whats wrong?"

"Well, I actually have a way of beating them. But you won't like it." She says quietly and looks away.

"What is it?"

"Well," She says tapping her fingers together. "I called some of the UNSC's enemies."

I narrow my eyes suspiciously I begin to dread where this is going. "Which enemies did you call exactly."

"The Insurrectionists."

I pinch the bridge of my nose when I hear this and resist the urge to scream at the top of my lungs. "The Insurrection! What on earth would posses you to ask the Insurrection for help? How did you even get them to help you?"

"Well, I kind of have a contact with them." She admits quietly and looks at everything except me.

I facepalm as I slowly begin to count to ten. "Alright I'm not questioning this, but what makes you so sure that they won't turn against us."

"They're not as bad as you think they are." She replies, somewhat defensively as she looks at me. "My contact is a former Freelancer she's been helping the refugees escape the war and provide them with food."

I nod slowly pat her shoulder. Part of me wants to shake my head stubbornly and tell her she's wrong. But I look around the room and remember where we are. I nod my head slowly. "Alright, I suppose we can give them a chance." I look at her seriously. "But if they betray us-"

"I know," she says firmly and gets up. "Now let's get back to practice?"

Happy to turn my attention back to something else and we begin to work with the water basin again, this time Persephone starts to create waves of water. Their mostly small and gentle but sometimes they get a bit stronger.

Eventually, we call it a day and I sigh. "Well that's done, I think we made good progress."

"I guess," I nod and rest on my hands. "Still I wash we could go a bit faster and create stronger water moves."

She smiled and looks down at herself. "Hah, of course, I'd love to do that too, but I only know so much about the water and can barely manage it myself."

"Well, I think I might know someone who can help us."

* * *

"So how do you think the Elites are planning to turn this battle around?" Andrew asks as we walk past a group of Engineers repairing a couple of sections of the hallway that appear to have blown up.

Persephone begged me not to tell anyone yet, at least until she finds a better way to explain it to them. I shrug. "They're Elites, even with their ships damaged I think they would still be able to put up a good fight."

Andrew doesn't seem as convinced at this plan and shakes her head. "You're forgetting their fighting Athena, and whoever is commanding that fleet. She's been killing Covenant since the start of this war. She isn't a slouch when it comes to a fight."

"Neither are we." Sam reminds him and rests her shotgun on one shoulder. Persephone was still silent and marches behind us, looking like she's in deep thought.

"Something on your mind sis?" I glance back at her and ask.

She looks up at me. "No, I'm just wondering if what your planning is really such a good idea." To me, it sounds more like that's what she's telling herself, but I decide not to press her anymore and continue to walk.

"She's Athena's daughter, an ONI agent and she's known longer than any of us." I point out, not slowing my pace down even as we enter the brig. The guards don't stop me as I look through the cells. "If anyone can give us information then it's her."

"I hope you're right?" Andrew says as we stop at the rightmost cell. He points his assault rifle there

I smirk and fold my arms together. "Well, no one is forcing you to be here right now guys."

Sam chuckles and taps her foot. "But what about the rest of us? Your sister may have taught you a bit about that hocus pocus stuff that she does, but I and Andrew wanna do some shit too, like shooting lightning.

"Or maybe shoot fire from our eyes," Andrew suggests with a shrug and a slight smirk.

"They're not superpowers," Annabeth says suddenly as she looks up from the jail floor. Even in captivity, she's taken to making sure she remains as composed as possible. Her posture was straight and there wasn't a wrinkle on her uniform.

"No one is talking to you." Sam snaps angrily as she glares at her.

Annabeth simply rolls her eyes in annoyance and stands up. She wears a curious look on her face when she hears this. "Really now? Because you just said that you hear because you want to learn something from me."

I resisted the urge to chuckle as I saw the color flush on Sam's face. She quickly turned around with her nose in the air. Andrew clears his throat. "Yes, we do have some things to ask you."

"And what would make me answer them?" She asks, seeming to already losing interest in the conversation.

"How about we don't gut you with a bayonet." Sam snaps angrily and waves her knife around.

"Easy there Sev." Persephone says gently, pulling the volatile Spartans arm down. She looks at Annabeth softly and nods. "You're a Demigod too, I don't know when you found out about all that stuff and I don't really care. But enemy or not don't you think we at least deserve that knowledge too?"

Annabeth sighs softly and nods. "Alright, I suppose you at least deserve that." She says, relenting. "Can you guys at least let me out?"

The four of us exchange looks before coming to a wordless agreement. Persephone walks over to one of the guard and says something to him. The Grunt frowns in confusion and hisses something back. The two them discuss something for a few moments and soon the Grunt waddles over to the bars and taps some buttons with his stubby fingers.

The energy screen separating us vanishes in an instant. Annabeth was about to move when we all step forward into the cell and the Grunt closes it behind us. She stares at us in surprise before scowling and sitting back down. "Fine let's get this over with. Sit down everyone."

We form a circle around her and take off our helmets before sitting down. Even while seated, we watch Annabeth cautiously. The ONI agent may not have our strength, but she has lots brains and is nearly as fast. "What are these powers that we have?" Persephone asks and holds up her hand.

"These are the traits carried over by your Godly parents." She responds without hesitation and straightens her posture. "I think it's beyond denying that your Half-Bloods now."

Annabeth pauses and looks at each of us for any signs of disagreement when she finds none she continues. "You all have something from your godly parents, their abilities as much as there blood. Persephone. I saw what you two did back on the bridge, you know what your ability is."

She nods slowly and gestures for her to continue.

"Percy's your twin so he'll have the same powers as you." She looks at Sam and Andrew. "As for the rest of you, well your powers aren't as obvious. Sam, you're a Daughter of Ares, your powers are skill in combat and weapons. You're a master soldiers and fighter."

"That's it?" She scowls and glares at me. "Well, I didn't need you to tell me that."

Annabeth ignores her and turns to Andrew. The big Spartans were sitting to her left with his arms folded. He hasn't said a single thing since we went in and now simply looks at her. She sizes him up, taking in his armor, posture, and expression.

"You are a Son of Hephestus Andrew, the god of forges and blacksmiths. Because of that, you have amazing skill with technology and construction. You can create anything if given the right tools and materials. Hence your armor."

Andrew looks down at his armor and grunts, seemingly pleased with that assessment.

Sam's scowl deepens. "So I'm good at killing things while Percy and Persephone can shoot water around?"

Annabeth smiles ruefully at her. "One of you guys got the bad end of the deal huh. Well look at me, my special powers is that I'm really smart and good at math."

Sam quiets down and mumbles. "Well, theres no power as stupid as that."

"Anyways," She says quickly and ignores that insult to her. "Did I answer all your questions or do you need something else?"

"How do you control it?"

She frowns and shakes her head. "Well, there I, unfortunately, can't help you."

Annabeth relaxes on the cell wall when Persephone grabs her arm. She regards her with cold, suspicious eyes before pulling her back up. "You can't? Or you don't want to?"

To her credit, Annabeeth didn't flinch and looks right back at her with an almost equally fierce snarl. "Both. Like I said I don't have your powers so I don't know what it takes to summon it, do you think I need to turn my brain on and off?"

"Probably," Sam mutters under her breath.

"As for why I don't want to, I'm not about to hand you a weapon to use against the UNSC. You're ringing saying you at least deserve to know about your parents and heritage, but I never said anything about actually teaching you."

Before anyone else can do anything, I raise my hands and nod. "Alright."

"What!" The two girls cry out in unison as they hear this.

"You're right, I wouldn't expect you to hand this information over and you gave us everything else we asked."

Annabeth looks at me suspiciously, unsure whether to trust us, but slowly she nods and relaxes back into her spot. "Thank you."

With all that done, Persephone gestures for the guard to open the doors once again. The four of us exit the chamber just as a Jackal comes running in. "Humans. More humans have arrived."

He cries out and buzzes around the crowds. The guards exchange curious looks as the commander looks at him. "Speak clearly warrior! What is going on?" He demands and leaps down from the platforms he's standing on.

"Human ships have exited slipspace." He explains and stops short of the commander, looking up at him. "Around ten of them."

The warrior frowns, giving us a quick glance before growling softly. "Attacking us?"

The bird-headed alien shakes his head, then an almost pleased look crosses his face. "No, they appear to be fighting the other fleet."

A collective gasp comes out from the rest of the guards who hear this. The commander does a better job of hiding his surprise. He simply nods in acknowledgment. "Why would they do that then?"

The Jackal shrugs. "I don't know, but they bear a symbol of a clenched fist."


	28. Chapter 28

**Persephone's POV**

"Whats going on?" I ask, stumbling inside the bridge as the crew moves around frantically, trying to make repairs on the ship's system. Zur and the Councilor were there as well, they and a few others were observing the viewscreen, looking intently at the ships on it.

Taking the front was a _Phoenix_ -class colony ship. Its MAC gun charged up and fires four rounds in rapid succession, all look much weaker than the standard heavy round of a capital ship though. Surrounding it was a squadron of Corvettes, Frigates, and Destroyers which all look well worn and repaired haphazardly with various materials and pieces of scrap metal, but also modified with more armor and weapons.

"We do not know," Zur replies and tears his gaze from the battle for a moment to answer me. "These ships appeared out of nowhere and attacked the human fleet. The lead ship sent us an encrypted message, telling us he comes in peace."

"And I have given the order to ignore it. I shall not be betrayed a second time." Xena 'Modun growls and clenches his fist. "We shall let the dogs tear each other apart before finishing off the survivors."

Sam folds her arms. "Not a very honorable strategy."

He turns his head to face her, his mandibles pressing together in irritation. "No, but there is a time for honor and a time for cold cunning."

I raise my hands up. "And you can't destroy them."

"Why I that?" The Spec Ops officer asks.

I hesitate to answer but Percy nods his head reassuringly. I take a deep breath and sigh. "Because I summoned them here."

Everyone suddenly stops and stares at me. The Councilor rises to full height and glares at me with cold, unforgiving eyes. It appears that the human General wasn't the only one keeping secrets. Speak quickly while you can still draw breath."

I don't even glance at the other Elites who look ready to draw their weapons. "I suppose such suspicion wasn't unfounded. But who are these new humans?"

"They call themselves the United Rebel Front. We call them the Insurrectionists. They are a rebel movement fighting the UNSC for independence. We were fighting them long before you guys came along and have recently invited me to join their ranks."

"You? A demon?" The Councilor questions as he looks around at the rest of us. "Your UNSC's greatest warriors?"

"Not all of us are happy serving the UNSC, one of their high ranking members was a Spartan I fought with." I counter and meet his gaze.

Xena 'Modun nods, seemingly considering all of this information. "Very well, I shall speak to this human." he turns back towards the Elites. "One of you get a message to them at once, inform the human rebels that I am willing to meet with them and discuss a possible alliance."

An officer salutes and changes the battle scene on his screen and quickly types in a code. "Message sent commander."

For a few minutes, the ships duel each other. One of the Frigates erupts in a series of explosion and soon a destroyer and two Corvettes follow. The remainder of the fleet quickly turns away and begins to break off, firing missiles and autocannon rounds to cover their retreat.

The Phoenix-class vessel is trailing smoke as it descends into the atmosphere. An Albatross dropship breaks off from the hanger and flies towards the planet's surface. "That is the human commander. He wishes to meet with you on the surface where he is."

Xena 'Modun growls and begins to pace the floor. "Councilor, it could be a trap." One warrior suggests. "You should take an armed bodyguard, or better yet, not go at all."

"If I refuse then we risk losing our potential ally in this conflict, no I must go." His gaze falls to us. "And one of you will go with me."

"Councilor!" The same warrior protests. "We cannot risk you."

Others begin to add their own voices but he raises his hands up for silence. "I shall take one of the demons with me," He repeats. "and the rest shall remain here for insurance. Should I be betrayed, you shall kill the rest of them and continue my plan."

The guards all point their weapons at us, waiting only for the order to fire. Xena 'Modun gestures for them to stand down. "Keep your weapons away for now," He rumbles and taps his foot impatiently. "so who will go with us?"

I step forward and salute. "I will. I invited them here so they will most likely listen to me."

"Very well then human, you shall join us on the surface." He says in agreement.

* * *

If they were planning on turning on the Elites, then the Rebels didn't plan it very well or in a good position to do so. The Councilor positioned several squads of snipers all around the crevice of the agreed meeting point. A pair of Hunters is marching right beside the Councilor as he descends the ships ramps.

Several more Elite Honor Guards stand in attention with their halberds and energy swords ready. I tighten my grip on my rifle, the only weapon I'm permitted to bring with me. His aide had already gone ahead to scout the area.

Xena 'Modun waves his hand towards the Phantom which quickly begins to rise up from the ground and vanishes into the sky. A few minutes later the aide returns with a pair of human soldiers. They're dressed in olive fatigues with old versions of MA5s slung over one shoulder. "The commander and his retinue are waiting for us in the crevice."

The Elite nods and begins to march downwards, the Honor Guard Ultra barks an order and his soldiers fall into step. They begin to descend down into the crevice where a number of figures are milling about. I glance upwards and get a glimpse of the Jackals darting through the rocks above. They begin to take positions in the rocks and ready to fire with beam rifles.

The man in the middle was none other than Admiral Drake. He had his helmet resting on the crook of his shoulder as he moved to the front of the group. Those in his immediate vicinity were wearing similar armor. His elite hit squad. The other men and women were wearing standard uniforms and guns. A row of warthogs was parked behind them, their rocket and machine gun turrets mounted,

"They appear to trust you as little as you trust them." The aide whispers to Xena.

Rather than be upset, he almost seems impressed. "Then they are not so foolish as they seem."

"I saw your snipers up in the area," Drake says, waving his hand in the air before gesturing broadly to the high ground.

"And I see your line of mounted fighters," Xena replies.

The Admiral grins. "So we understand each other then?"

"Indeed." There was a bit of respect in his voice when he says that. "So how do you plan on defeating your human foes?"

Drake moves around, walking in a circle around the rest of us. He is perfectly in view of the sniper and something tells me he knows that. "Well, we have two fleets which we can combine in order to face them. Even damaged as they are I expect we can still hold our own."

"I'm afraid you are mistaken human." Xena 'Modun replies and turns around to face him. "My ships are in need of repair and to do so will take time. I hope you managed to buy us that."

"Aye we saw the ruins left over from your run in, it looks like you did a number on them, my boys managed to take one or two ships with them." He points.

Xena grunts. "That is hardly enough damage to bring them to the negotiating table, and unlike my warriors, I am not sure if I can bring reinforcements."

"Then we make due with what we have." Drake reaffirms. "We still have plenty of soldiers ready to fight."

"And they have more." Xena points out and growls angrily. "We cannot defeat them with strength alone. If we are to have any chance of defeating them, then my ships must be repaired."

I look at Drake. "Do you have engineers? Ones who are experts in Covenant technology?" CT already told me that Drake keeps a stash of Covenant weapons in his armory and constantly has his scientists research on them.

"A couple of them, I can send them to help speed up repairs." Admiral Drake offers.

"Our Huragok is all the crew we need,' Xena 'Modun waves his hand dismissively. After a moment, he nods. "But you are welcome to send them to offer what assistance they can. After our ships are repaired, then we may begin to discuss offensives and battles against the humans."

The Insurrectionist leader nods and smiles. "Then we are in agreement to working together Councilor?"

"It appears we are." He inclines his head slowly with a small smile playing across his face. Then without warning, he pulls his Plasma Rifle out and points it at the Admiral. Drake's soldiers react quickly and raise their rifles in their commander's defense. The Honor Guards quickly lower their halberds, ready to charge. "But if you take any ideas of betraying us, the humans will be the least of your concerns."

Drake chuckles and pushes the rifle aside with his finger. "Don't worry, unlike our human friends we know how to keep our word."

"We shall see." He growls and with nothing else to say, he turns at his heel and begins to walk back towards the way he came. The other Elites begin to follow him. "We will allow you to send your people in."

The Phantom circles around the crevice and lands a few feet away just outside. They begin to walk away and return to the ship. "Come demon, let us go."

The Admiral spares one look at me, he smiles and gives me a two-fingered salute. "Glad to have you onboard Persephone. CT's certainly excited at having a new Spartan with us."

"Spartans." I correct and smile. "My entire team I joining in."

His smile changes into a full-blown grin. "Even better. We'll see you then." He then does the same as the Councilor and begins to order his own men back to their ship.

I quickly jog back up to the Elites in order to catch up with them. They're already starting to board once I catch up. I'm the last one to reach them, the guard on the Phantom offers his hand to help me up. I gladly take it and climb onboard. The Councilor was removing his cloak with the assistance of his aide. "That seems to have gone well," I remark.

"Indeed." Xena 'Modun admits. "Although I pray that it will be all worth it."

* * *

"Are you certain you understand what you are doing?" An Elite dressed in an engineering uniform asks as he observes the two human engineers tinkering with a ship panel. He folds his arms and leans in closer, almost looking over his shoulder.

One of the engineers glances back at his overseer in annoyance. He stops working for a moment but nods. "Yes, I'm pretty sure we know what we're doing. It took a bit of learning, but we get it."

I watch from a distance, chuckling slightly as I shake my head. Drake and his team of Engineers arrived a few hours ago and have quickly gone to work in helping the Covenant fix what they can. This means repairing dents, bringing weapons and engines back into working order alongside the Covenant Engineers. The floating sacks are practically miracle workers when it comes to building things or putting them back together.

I glance around the rest of the hallways where more engineering teams are working on fixing the ship's Plasma Turrets. I fold one hand over the other behind my back and begin to pace the length of the ship, observing how the repairs are going.

The rest of my team are doing the same, keeping the ship's crew and the rebels working together peacefully and making sure repairs went along peacefully.

"Spartan." A soldier appears at the door and stands at attention when he sees me.

"Speak soldier," I reply and nod at him.

"Admiral Drake would like to speak with you ma'am, he says it's pretty important." The soldier reports and salutes.

I frown when I hear this. "Did he at least say why?"

The soldier shakes his head. "Sorry ma'am, but he didn't say, and just that he needs you and your brother to meet him in the hanger."

"Alright then," I sigh and look around at the teams. Things seem to be going well enough and there is little violence between them. Percy was just a few rooms away in the engine room and an assorted team of twenty engineers. "I'll get him. Go tell him I'll be there in a few minutes."

He nods and runs off back to the way he came as I begin to sprint towards the engine room, waving off to one of the rebel soldiers to take over while I'm gone.

I quickly jog down the hallways to the room abuzz with activity as the repairs are getting underway. Percy was standing in the side with his rifle slung over his back. "Percy!" I cup my hands and shout. "We're being summoned by the Admiral."

He nods and walks up to me, taking his eyes off the people working and looks at me. "Whats up?"

In response, I shrug and gesture towards the door. "I don't know either, but he seems pretty insistent to get us there."

"Alright give me a second." He says and quickly gives orders to his second before following me.

The two of them head down to the hangar. Drake was waiting for us on the first floor with his hands behind his back. He was wearing olive drab fatigues and smiles when he sees us. "So I suppose both of you are wondering why I asked you to come down here?"

"The thought crossed my mind." Percy replies and halts beside me. The Admiral spreads his arms out to show two larger gallons of water that were used for the water cooler.

"Well, I heard that Annabeth already spilled the beans about your family tree." He explains and gestures around. "And as a fellow Half-Blood, I feel as if it is my duty to educate the two of you in how to use your powers."

"You're a Demigod?" I gasp and stare at him.

"Son of Ares!" He says, pounding his chest proudly. "Now I'm also sure she mentioned that Demigods from different parents have different abilities, but there is a theoretical knowledge to do. These gallons are filled with water and you're going to be practicing with it."

He gestures for us to sit down in front of them. I sit beside him and look at the water. The container doesn't look like it's been altered in any way and even the top hasn't been removed yet. "So how do we do this?"

Drake leans in closer and to glance over my shoulder before resting his hand on me. "So the key is to focus on the water, the key is to think of nothing else but the water, focus on it and fell it on your mind. Now let's begin."

I sat cross-legged in front of the gallon and rested my head on the rim of the water gallon. Closing my eyes I let my mind drift off to the water. It sounds ridiculous thinking about it now, but then I begin to feel something inside. A gentle push and pull of the water, but there is something stirring inside of is, almost crying to get out.

I take my concentration away from the water for a minute and glance at my brother. He has his nose wrinkled in frustration as he continues to concentrate on the water. I turn back and continue to think of the water. Suddenly the liquid begins to move more quickly starts to grow stronger, shaking more wildly as the water gallon starts to vibrate as well.

Barely suppressing a gasp of excitement, I continue to focus on the water and channel it to try and get out. I clench my fists and thrust it out towards the top and will it outwards. Suddenly, there is a loud pop and the water comes shooting out like a geyser, firing several feet in the air. The guards stop their patrol and stare at it, looking over in surprise as they watch the spectacle.

Percy's own water explodes soon after to form a twin geyser. He backs away and blinks in surprise. Drake for his part only grins and slaps us on the back. "Nicely done Spartans, but that's only the first lesson."

"And what's lesson two?" I ask, not tearing my gaze from my handiwork.

His eyes gleam when he speaks again. "Using that power of yours as a weapon." He clenches his fist and suddenly the knife on his belt flies out of its sheath and spins around in the air. Drake catches it and holds it out. "Now focus, channel the water in the way you want it. I know it's a bit more complex than just causing the water to move around but I think you guys can get the hang of it."

I sigh, closing my eyes once again and begin to focus on the water, which is now all scattered on the ground. I take a few deep breaths, focusing it, shaping it into something. The water lashes out against the wall, its sides razor sharp as it leaves a long scratch mark against the strange alien metal. "Hows that?"

Percy grins and fashions his ice into a spike that he jabs forward straight into the metal hard enough to dent it and leaves it embedded into the metal before suddenly turning back into a puddle.

The Elite guard walking along the area when it happens looks at us and warts angrily, waving his fist. My brother smiles sheepishly and mutters an apology. Drake simply laughs and claps him on the back. "Eager I see. Well, soon enough we'll put your skills to the test."


	29. Chapter 29

**Percy's POV**

"Steady now." Admiral Drake instructs me as I lay my hands over the soldier's arm. He winces and rubs his injured arm. Beads of sweat were trickling down his face. "Don't force it to happen, ease into him, sense pain and find the injury. Then you mend it at the source."

I nod and take a deep breath and focus my eyes on his arm. My hands move around, searching for the burns, sensing the two pieces separated from one another. Then I feel my hands tremble as I begin to feel the heat emanating from the spot.

"Here?" I ask, taking my gaze from the injury for a moment to see his nod. I begin to channel the water towards it. The soldier gasps as it starts to snake upwards from the basin at his feet, moving up his leg towards the burn marks. He looks ready to cry out, but stops once he realizes that it doesn't hurt as he expected.

I offer him a shaky grin as the water begins to ease its way into the damaged skin, cooling it down and started to seep inside of him. Suddenly it wasn't just ordinary water anymore. Its mending his skin, putting the color back where it once was and restoring it to its original appearance. Drake claps me on the back and smiles. It was an unspoken signal for me to stop.

Nodding, I slump back to my chair and begin to breathe heavily. The man lifts his arm up and moves it around curiously as he inspects for pain. When he's satisfied with everything, the man nods his thanks and begins to get up and return to his job.

"Your advancing quickly." The Admiral comments and relaxes as well.

I take the compliment with a polite smile as I take a glass of water from the table and begin to take a sip out of it. For the past few days, Drake's been training me and my sister about controlling our abilities, using it far beyond just simple tricks and weapons. Now we're starting to delve into healing.

Not anything big, mostly just healing the occasional burns or a skinned knee. Still its a start. And so far things were going relatively well with the repairs of the fleet. Good progress was made with the repairs of the fleet, most of the weapons and engines were being nearly ready and the UNSC didn't appear to be reinforcing. That is if the patrols Xena 'Modun sent out were to be believed.

"Let's take a break now?" Drake suggests.

"Alright then." I agree and set my glass down. "Has there been any news on the UNSC."

"Not officially."

I frown as Drake pulls out his flask and casually takes a sip. The shadows of a smirk beginning to form on his face. "What the heck do you mean by that?"

He offers me some of his whiskey which I politely decline. Drake shrugs. "Well, I may have sent out a few scouts to check out the nearby area for any UNSC presence on the planet's surface."

"And?" I lean forward ion my chair. "Did they find anything?"

He shrugs. "Well I heard rumors and whispers, but no confirmation. I'm sending out a fresh team to confirm. If there is then I was thinking about sending a team with the Councilors support to well, blood them a bit."

"Blood them?"

He smirks. "Well, I'm not going to wait around and let them cause some trouble. The best defense is a good offensive. Are you willing to cause a little trouble with the UNSC?"

Now I feel the smile beginning to form on my face as I nod. "Well if I knew where and had a team to do so."

"Well, that can be easily arranged." Drake smirk grows into a full grin and puts his flask away. He reclines his chair and sighs. "I' bring it up to the Councilor the next time I see him of these rumors are true."

* * *

I look through my binoculars and watch as a convoy of Warthogs makes their way into the hangar bay of the recently erected outpost. There's only a handful of them, maybe four or five plus a contingent of marines numbering less than a hundred.

About two dozen soldiers surround me, a mixture of both Elites, Grunts, Human soldiers, and Jackals. Our mission was clear enough; take out the heavy weapons and clear the way for the rest of the landing force and air support.

I set the binoculars and extend my hand to the soldier at my side. "Launcher," I say and curl my fingers.

The Elite barks something softly and the man in the back pass the launcher up the line until it's in my hands. I smile and activate the 2X zoom in the scope. The magnified view of a Warthog comes to sight as I pull the trigger.

None of the men onboard see the missile coming until it sends them flying from in a fiery explosion. The others Marines quickly come running towards the wreckage. The second rocket takes a trio of Marines. My team utter a fierce battle cry as we rush out from our hiding place and slide down the cliffside. A wave of my hand sends sniper firing at the remaining Warthog crews.

I feel dirt kick up into my boots as I slide down the slope. Bullets from assault weapons force me to take cover behind a rock with a pair of Jackals who are crouching behind their shield. I hold both my hands up to gesture for them to stop. The buzzard headed aliens glare at me, but lower their weapons.

I pop my head out and begin firing at them with my rifle. The nearest soldier goes down as a dozen bullets hit him while the others halt their advance and try to take me out. I nod back to them as they pour plasma fire at them. One launches an overcharge bolt that sends the soldiers running.

"Air support in coming!" Someone shouts over my helmet radio but it was quickly drowned out by the shrieking sound of Banshee engines.

A full flight of them appear in a perfect V formation as they unleash hell with their plasma turrets and cannons. Marines fly up in the air as their bodies are thrown from the ground helplessly.

One marine manages to hop onto the turret of a Warthog and begins to fire at them. The stream of bullets force the machines to scatter but one fighter doesn't move and finishes the man off with a burst of plasma fire.

Suddenly the fights over as the last of the defenders go down. A few manage to run into the base, but Phantoms begin to appear and deploy new soldiers to finish them off.

The rest of my team regroup around me as we let out a cheer, the Elites, in particular, were eagerly roaring at the top of their considerable lungs. I join in and congratulate some of my warriors, but also to keep them from getting reckless and charging into the facility before the hunter-killer teams deployed are done.

It takes close to half an hour, but finally a Lieutenant emerges from the base and flashes a thumbs up to the rest of us, signaling that it's finally safe to enter. Drake is on the last ship that deploys soldiers. He winks at me as he begins to walk in. My men quickly file in, searching the area for stragglers as I make my way towards the command center. Zur was there as well being the leader of the hunter teams.

He nods and turns his attention back to the holo-tank, tapping at the buttons while searching for any useful information. Suddenly a figure materializes in the tank causing the Elite to jump back.

The figure was in an army uniform and with a scar flecked face. "Captain, did you repel the enemy invaders?" He looks up at us, removing his shades and baring his teeth at us. Ares removes his shades and his red eyes glare at us. "You?"

Drake sneers at him and glares right back at him. "Hello, father."

Ares spats on the ground and stares at his son. "So you finally bother to show your face huh? Working with the Covenant? That's a new low, even for you."

"I always thought you were past criticizing my life decisions father." He shoots back and begins to deactivate the signal when Ares grins at him.

"At the very least I didn't raise a coward." He replied and nodded in approval. The General glanced around the command center. "Or an idiot. But even with your Covenant allies, we outgun and outnumber you."

"You didn't raise me at all, and don't worry about me, I and my men can take care of themselves," Drake says and cuts off the transmission and slams his fist onto the table. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Come on, let's get out of there before he sends down reinforcements."

I nod to Zur who pulls out a small device that resembles an elongated sea urchin. He begins to place it on the holotank. Other Covenant warriors do the same and place their charges on anything important or the support columns. The Admiral gestures for his people to follow him as they set the timer for five minutes.

The rest of the troops in the base quickly follow, walking briskly down the halls as they evacuate as well, some are still carrying equipment and weapons taken which they load onto the dropships. The Banshees are still in the air, circling around the area. "Commander, we spotted several human dropships approaching from the south commander."

"Understood," Zur replies and helps us onboard the nearest Phantom. "See if you can cause a little chaos in their ranks."

"Yes, commander." The Banshees break off and begin to fly towards the ships.

The dropships quickly take off and start to fly off back into the ship. We hear the explosion in the background but none of us glance back. The side doors of the Phantoms open up and the gunners take position to fire. I pick up my rocket launcher once again and peer outside. The fighter are swarming around a trio of ships.

The gunners scream as they open fire as well to give their fellow pilots some help. I fire a rocket that cut through the air and hits one of the Pelicans side engines. It starts to spin around out of control as the rest of the Banshees take it down.

I fire the second one before taking cover once again. Drake grabs me by the shoulder. "Do you remember what I thought you?" He points at the gallons of water in the side that he brought with him earlier.

I smirk and pick one off over the shoulder before throwing it towards the nearest ship. It bounces against the bay doors and falls in between two Pelicans. I close my eyes and force the water out. Suddenly the gallon explodes and I shot the water out to both ships. It stretches outwards and begins to take the shape of a squid's tentacles.

The first Pelican manages to veer out of the way, but the second one wraps around it. The tentacles begin to coil around the ships belly, squeezing it tightly as it starts to crush it. Even from here I hear the sound of the metal being crushed and the ship drops like a stone. The final one lasts a bit longers as it fires missiles at the remaining Banshees, forcing them to scatter as three are shot down.

Drake begins to arm himself with a shotgun and a jetpack. He hands me another one and looks at my assault rifle. "Better get ready, there's a powerful presence I sense in that last ship."

"Your father?"

He grins and pumps his shotgun. "I hope so."

The ship stumbles around as a missile hits our side, the gunner screams as he tumbles out of the ship. It stumbles for a bit but the pilot manages to stabilize it enough for us to escape. Zur growls into his communicator. "Send the _Harmonious Song_ to our position now!"

A light cruiser appears in the sky, firing from the plasma cannons towards the Pelican. It smartly decides to break the chase and fly away, leaving our ships alone. I sigh with relief as the Cruiser flies overhead. Everyone, especially the Covenant warriors begin to cheer as they watch the ship flee.

Zur chuckles and lowers his wrist gauntlet. He smiles as the pilot begins to shut the door of the Phantom. The ship soon flies up to the Cruisers hangars and deploys its everyone else. The rest of our troops quickly disembark.

Drake is the first down and quickly looks around and is already barking orders to the rest of the crew. He begins to walk to the bridge, grabbing the nearest officer to his side. "Contact the ship's captain and tell him I need to speak to him at once."

The Elite nods before striding off to the bridge. The Admiral glances back at me and smiles. "Get some rest Spartan. I'll contact you later when I have everything sorted out here."

I give him a quick salute and remove my helmet. There's a quick snap as I pry it off and run my hand through my hair. I collect my weapons and make my way down the halls to the communications area. It's mostly for handling communications between ships, though there's a small section meant for personal use.

The guard is a bit surprised to see me, but after a moment he simply grunts and steps aside to let me pass. He taps the keys on the keypad and activates the door for me. I nod my thanks as I sit down in front of the screen and begin to turn the machine on.

My sisters sleeping expression came into sight as she snores softly on her desk. "Sis, sis. Persephone!"

She gasps in surprise and stumbles onto the ground. Slowly, my sister pulls herself back up to the desk and rubs her eyes. "Percy, what happened?"

Quickly, I tell Persephone everything that happened. When I'm done she frowns and is wide awake now. "Damn, so we have two gods now. Someone better tell the Councilor that."

"Well, you're there. I'll let you handle that." I smirk and relax in my chair.

She rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out. But her eyes are deadly serious as she sits up straighter. "So what do we do now?"

"We what we've been training with for our entire lives. We fight them." I reply calmly. "Tell the others."

Persephone nods in agreement as she starts to get up. "I'll tell the Councilor." With that, she shuts the computer off. I get up and begin to move out of the communication room. My communicator begins to sound as I get about ten feet away from the door.

I lift it up to my face before activating it. "Percy, this is Drake. We're heading back to the rest of the fleet. Meet me at the armory."

"Copy that." I shut it off and quickly jog down the hallway. One quick trip down the gravity lift and a few short halls and I are in front of the armory. Drake was there too, his expression stormy.

Before I can ask, he leads me inside and starts to look through the racks of assorted weapons. When the Weapons Master tries to stop us, Drake only flashes his datapad which causes the warrior to back off. "We're moving off to battle. The Elites agree that we can't let the humans get any reinforcements here or set up a presence. We need to hit them now while they're still vulnerable."

I nod my head quickly as he pounds a fist into the palm of his hand. "So what's our plan of attack?"

"Now our biggest problem will be taking out those Cruisers. Even with our own ships, they can take a beating, but if we manage to get inside and take the ship out from within, then we finish off the rest of the fleet."

"That sounds good to me," I reply and stretch my arms as we continue to walk. "But if you don't mind me asking, what will we do once the fighting is all over?"

He smiles and simply shrugs. "Well I'm still not entirely sure what will happen, I have a couple ideas such as solidifying a permanent alliance with the Elites against the UNSC and continuing the fight. We could use you Spartans if you want to stat."

A smile forms on my lips. "I'll be honored to serve you, Admiral."


	30. Chapter 30

**Persephone's POV**

"Fear not little demons." The Elite proclaims as he opens up an overhead weapons locker. The other Covenant Warrior quickly reach out and begin to pull out their guns. He arms himself with a Plasma repeater and offers me another rifle. I politely decline and hold up my battle rifle. "These ships are equipped with the latest cloaking technology. The humans will not see us until we're right on top of them."

I glance at Sam whose cleaning up her shotgun with a rag. She glances at me and gives a grim nod as she bumps a fresh round into her weapon.

Andrew was at the ships cockpit with the pilots who explain the weapon controls and gave him a seat in there with him. The view screen is dominated by the steel and greys of a Frigates hull. I enter the room just as one of the warriors activates the communicator. "We are approaching the ships now Shipmaster. You may begin your attack."

The Pheonix colony ship begins to emerge from the canyon it was hidden in and is joined by several of the Covenant Light Cruisers. The ships fire an opening salvo of MAC and plasma torpedoes at the fleet.

They cut through the sky in a blinding flash of light and energy. The frigate speeds ahead in their direction, moving its body to take most of the plasma rounds. Red and orange flowers blossom all over the ship as dozens of escape pods launch from the bottom of the ship. The slower MAC round was the coup de' grace as it hits the bridge which vanishes in the explosion.

The Shipmasters fleet continues to advance, scores of fighters flying out from the ships hangars to engage the human ships. The Pilot directs his ship to the side as Longswords begin to emerge from the Frigates and Carriers. The single ships rush to engage the Covenant Seraphs and renegade longswords in a vicious dogfight. The Light Cruisers speed up and begin to

"We have their attention Councilor, you may now begin your attack." The Shipmaster reports from one of the Light Cruisers. It and its sister ship advance ahead between the UNSC ships, firing barrages of plasma fire at the UNSC ships and boils through several centimeters of armor.

A trio of loud explosion nearly deafens the whole Phantom. The Halcyon-Class Cruiser moves from the center of the fleet and advances ahead, firing at one of the Light Cruisers and manages to shatters its hull. The lights all over the ship goes out as it tumbles form the sky, catching fire as it falls.

The remaining cruiser wisely retreats as the Colony ship covers its retreat with missile fire. The ballistic weapons manage to rip through a bit of the armor but do little damage overall.

One of the UNSC Destroyers begins to power up its MAC guns, but before it even fires it, a plasma projector sears through the armor and guts the shop from stern to bow. The Battlecruisers descend from the sky and begin to fire down onto the UNSC ships, pounding the other ships with their heavy plasma weapons. Some of the UNSC ships turn to engage them, a carrier fires two fusion rockets at the nearest ship followed by a nuclear warhead.

"We're going in." The pilot announces and whirls around towards the Halcyon Cruiser and begins to order the other Phantoms with him. They move towards the hangar, approaching from the sides as more fighters emerge. Once the last ship is gone, they gunships move in and begin landing inside.

Andrew grins as he taps some of the glowing symbols and starts to direct the Phantoms main Plasma cannon. The pilot turns the ship out in a circle as the Spartan opens up, firing all over the hangar. He targets the fighters and transports first as the rest of the ships join us. The pilot opens the side doors for the gunners to add their firepower. A growl forms on his lips as he notices the pings on his computer from soldiers trying to return fire. "Focus your fire on the humans forming up to the side."

"Copy that." Andrew turns the cannon and focuses on a group of crates piled up and blows them away. "Landing parties are clear."

I nod and activate my active camouflage. The other soldiers are already jump out either from the side doors or the gravity lift. I take the latter and feel as if all the weight in my body disappears, leaving me freer than air. I drop to a crouch and take a look around.

Marines and navy personnel are rushing to engage them with whatever they have. I spot one soldier crawling up beside a Scorpion and preparing to turn it on the Phantom. I dash forward, not bothering to stay hidden as I grab the man by the scruff of his neck and throw him off before getting in myself.

The Marines around me turn and open fire on the tank as I close the hatch. My hands move around the controls as I turn the turret towards a Warthog before firing. The jeep goes flying in the air, spilling its contents before slamming into the wall.

A stray bullet manages to get through and bounce off my shield. It still manages to short out my active camouflage and causes me to pull out my pistol and fire from the gap as I move the Scorpion back. I don't have controls on the heavy machine gun and the cannon is useless at this close range.

A squad advances closer at me with their rifles ready. I prepare to ram them with the tank, but before it goes anywhere, sparks begin to fly all over as the controls go haywire. An explosion sends my body jerking forward as I catch glimpse of a marine with a grenade launcher leaving his cover.

Thankfully before they do anything else, a group of Elites and Sam join the fight and begin to cut their way through the soldiers. the Marine with the launcher turns to face her only for his weapon to be sliced in half by her knife and another drive into his chest.

She flicks the blade to cause the blood to fly off and winks at me. I smirk and climb out of the Scorpion and look around. The hangar was secure with the remaining UNSC forces retreating to the very edges of the facility with the rest of our forces in hot pursuit.

A Phantom lands and Andrew steps out with his flamethrower. The officers order their rebel and Covenant troops to break of the pursuit in order to consolidate their holdings. I head inside and pick up the communicator. "This is Persephone, area is secure for additional troops to begin landing."

"We read you Persephone, troops are on the way." Drake's voice replies. I hang up and leap down the from the dropship to look out from the hangar and watch the battle unfold. Just outside is the UNSC are hard pressed to hold the fleet back , but they also don't seem to be breaking anytime soon. Several more Pelicans and Phantoms emerge from the Colony ship and start to speed all towards us.

Some are shot down by the flak, but most seem to get through. A rebel sergeant approaches me and salute. "Ma'am, more UNSC soldiers are approaching."

He points at the doors to reveal a fresh squad of UNSC soldiers arriving with someone in the middle. It was the General. He pumps his shotgun and blows a Grunt back and begins to swing it around wildly to keep the warriors back.

This action seems to rally the remaining human forces who begin to form up behind him and starts to beat back our forces who begin to move towards the landing zone. Ares screams a terrible war cry and begins to cut a swath through the remaining enemy forces.

"Damn," The sergeant growls and fires his pistol at the advancing group. I reach down and feel the saber strapped to my waist and close my eyes. "Cover me, I'm gonna hold off the General."

The rebel stares at me with wide eyes, but he slowly nods and fires his gun. I leap forward and charge towards Ares with my blade ready. I swish it back and forth at the nearest soldiers and manage to take a few down before meeting him.

I dive roll forward and bring my sword up aimed at his chest. He parries it with the barrel of gun and spin it around, swinging the butt his rifle at me. I pivot to the side and let it glance off my shoulder instead of my face. I feel the stinging pain shot up from my shoulder as he follow up with a blast from his shotgun.

Ares pumps his gun and fires again before I can even roll onto my back. My shields shatter from both impacts and I spin around, swing my legs at him. They manage to catch the side of his stomach as I jump to my feet and unleash a flurry of blows.

I force Ares back and he raises his weapon up to the defensive. He growls and holds it up with both hands. My next blow breaks the weapon in half. I smirk as he roars in anger, throwing away the broken bits of his shotgun aside and seizes a knife from his boot and swings it in a reverse grip.

A long gash forms in my helmet as he follow up with a wicked uppercut. I tumble to the ground, feeling my teeth rattle underneath my helmet. He grabs me by my chest plate and rams his head against mine. My helmet comes loose and tumbles from my head.

Ares grins statistically and begins to rain down punches at my face. Without thinking I lash both feet out at his chest and lunge at him. The two of us tumble onto the ground as I'm on top and bring my knee up against his groin. The air who she's out of him as I follow up by ramming my elbow at his face.

But somehow this barely even phases him and he simply gives me a bloody smirk before spitting out a tooth. Suddenly my body begins to rise off the ground as Ares lifts me up and throws me aside. I slide across the floor and barely get a moment to collect my senses before Ares falls upon me again. My body is overwhelmed by the pain and the only I can see is his fist crashing down on me.

I'm dimly aware of Sam charging at her father with her gun leveled. He sidesteps the attack and whirls around, slamming his fist against her head. She rolls to her back and pulls the trigger. Instead of gunfire, all that comes out is an empty click.

Sam doesn't even get a chance to protect herself as her father slams his boot so hard into her chest that it actually dents the armor. Andrew turns to us and begins to fire his underslung shotgun at him. None of the rounds get through his armor and Ares simply flicks his knife and hurls it at Andrew.

It was a beautiful shot that lands right into the barrel of Andrew's weapon. When he fires it, the gun explodes in his hand, send him flying back with flames all over his armor. Ares pulls a spare knife fro, his side and hooves it over my head and prepares to bring it down.

Suddenly a strong gust of wind causes Ares to stagger forward a step and gives me time to squirm free. A new Pelican is in the hangar with its VTOL hovering in the air as fresh troops arrive. Ares turns and glares at them, he shouts some orders for his men but barely gets a word out before he's hit. The General screams as a torrent of water smashes into his chest. Percy leaps down from the Pelicans troop bay with his hand following Ares.

Drake appears behind him with his battle rifle ready. He advances towards Ares with a determined look on his face. "Finish the mission Spartans, I need to have a talk with my father."

"But-"

"Go!"

I purse my lips and nod, quickly checking up on Sam before helping her to her feet and running over to Andrew. Percy joins us halfway there and watches our flank. The big Spartans armor is covered in soot, but otherwise looks alright. He picks up a stray plasma repeater and nods to us.

I hear Drake shouting behind us as he fires his rifle. We force ourselves to keep going forward away from the battle and to further down to the hall. Soldiers are already beginning to trickle there as a dozen different skirmishes are raking place while we pass. "Who has the explosives?" I ask and do a flying kick towards a marine.

Percy holds up a satchel full of C12 while taking cover behind a bulkhead. A group of marines open fire with a mounted machine gun. Sam peeks out and begins to return fire as Percy fires a grenade from his launcher.

Instead of aiming at the gun directly, he fires at the ceiling and causes parts of it to tumble down on the hapless soldiers. We take a minute to finish them off before continuing on our mission. Andrew begins to tap onto his gauntlet as he falls behind. "I'm trying to hack into the UNSC system." Get explains. "We can find out where they're going and avoid them."

He suddenly holds his hand up as we cross an intersection. From one hall I hear the voices of soldiers, but they quickly disappear. Andrew nods and begins to run once again. Under his guidance we eventually reach the reactor. Percy throws the big Spartan his bag as he begins to examine the machine. "This is one of their newest models that I've heard about." He explains and places the charges on. "Here, here. There and there." He directs the rest of us where to place the explosives for maximum damage.

We each take a handful of the C12 and quickly fan out to plant them on the reactor. I head to one of the corner and pull out my pistol cautiously as I begin to place the bombs in. The others are doing the same no one appears. Whenever we hear a sound, Andrew simply listens in on his radio and shakes his head.

"Wait." Percy raises his hands up and sweeps his assault rifle around with sudden seriousness. He begins to move around the reactor room. "I'm getting something on my motion tracker, its erratic and always moving appearing in different direction. Its one of those Radar jammer things the Brutes like to use."

"Alright everyone is careful," I reply and activate my active camouflage after placing the last of the explosives.

Sam and Andrew join us in the search, moving back to back with their weapons ready. They sweep the southern part of the room. "Why don't we just leave then if they're hiding from us? And why don't they just attack."

"Because whoever here is probably after the bombs." Percy explains and suddenly swivels to his side. "And there's something you need to know about those radar jammers."

"Whats that?"

Percy pauses and gestures with his fingers to make a smile. "They only last a few seconds."

Suddenly my radar clears up and I see a red blip hoovering over Sam. Before I can shout a warning, an invisible force suddenly knock her weapon out of her hands. Sam throws a punch but is hit in the stomach and sent tumbling to the ground.

Andrew screams and opens fire with his rifle, blobs of plasma splatter all around the wall as the intruder moves away. He catches a glimpse of the outline and fires after her for a few seconds before he screams and drops his gun. The plasma filters were recycling as his weapon overheats, still the attacker doesn't get far as I chase after it and tackle it to the ground.

The cloaking fails as Athena's face comes into view. She glares at me furiously and tries to roll me off of her. Percy runs to my side and fires at her as soon as I fall off, but oddly enough none of his bullets even seem to faze her as Athena gets to her feet.

Perch screams as he raises his rifle in the air and swings it at her. Athena sidesteps his attack and throws two quick jabs at his back, sending my brother reeling forward. He quickly catches himself and pulls something out from his belt. It's a small barbell like object, when he flicks his wrist a wand of pure energy comes out.

He raises his energy sword and nods at me. Even without a word from his mouth, I understand exactly what's happening. I pull my saber from my side and ready myself. Together.

The two of us begin to fan out on either side of up her, advancing cautiously as her eyes continue to follow after me. Athena remains silent as well, but she extends her hand and a spear materializes in her hands.

Without warning my brother moves forward, swinging his sword in an overhead cut directed at the Generals head. She whirls around and parties with the leaf-shaped blade of her weapon, then suddenly jab the butt of her weapon back when I try to strike her from the back.

The two of us scream and begin to unleash all our attacks on her at once. Even in total silence save for the hum and scrape of our blades meeting, my brother and I fight together as if we had for years. No signals are needed as we go covering each others weak spots or distracting the other as they prepare to attack.

Still Athena moves like lightning, spinning around expertly and parties our attacks without missing a beat. She growled and occasionally launched her own counter attacks to force us back but without much success.

From the corner of my eye I notice the rest of our teammates getting to their feet. Sam looks at Andrew who nods slowly after she whispers something to him. The two quickly move in the other direction and disappear behind the reactor. The two suddenly reappear on the other side and fire a volley at Athena.

The general is briefly taken my surprise at this attack and whirls around to face them. Percy takes this opportunity and stabs his sword into her side. Athena holds her hand over her face which absorbs their next volley and slams her spear to the ground as we prepare for our next attack. It sends shockwaves throughout the room and the two of us go flying back.

Sam and Andrew stumble a bit but manage to recover and fight back, firing once again but Athena moves at inhuman speed towards them. Sam's next shot goes wide as Athena lands a blow to her gut and snatches the weapon from her hand.

Andrew fires at the general full auto with his plasma repeater as he slowly backpedals. The general pumps the shotgun again and fires at him. His extra armor plating manages to absorb most of the blast. Andrew continues to back away as another blast sends him reeling.

He swings his arm wildly at her. Athena easily catches the attack and grabs his arm. She shoves him to the side and picks up her spear. Sam spins around and tries kick her legs. Athena doesn't budge and prepares to bring down her spear on the Spartan.

Percy moves quickly parties her spear with his sword. Suddenly the weapon shatters in half as my brother throws himself at her. He forces Athena to the defensive as he advances closer with his sword ready, the blade now a glowing arc of death. I sprint forward and join him, swinging my saber in a low cut that hits Athena in the boot.

Athena's leg falls fro, under her and she drops to a kneeling position. The two of us look at each other briefly before moving again to finish her off. Suddenly she looks up at us, her eyes glowing brighter than the sun and she begins to levitate off the ground. The glow from her eyes spreads all throughout her face, bathing her in a light. It wasn't too bright at first but it gets stronger by the second.

"Look away!" Sam shouts as she fires one more shit before taking cover behind the reactor.

I lower the tint in my helmet and force my eyes shut as I back away. A blaze whooshes past me and leaves the hairs on my arms standing up. It moves diagonally from my right to left. I hear Percy firing to my side, screaming incoherently.

"Get down." Percy shout and slam my fist onto the ground. I feel the protective barrier form around me as I risk opening my eyes and look to the direction of my brothers voice. Percy is there, panting heavily as he places a fresh clip into his rifle.

"How do we hit an enemy we can't see?" She fires blindly again as we hair the sound of Athena making another pass. The bouncing sound of her weapon striking against my shield fill my ears, suddenly there's a loud pop and the protective barrier vanishes.

I pull out a grenade and throw it in the air to where I hear her fly by. The explosion rips through my ears but my armor starts to flare as I feel her spear jab against my chest, only its heavy plates protect me from a serious injury. "Do you think you can win?" Athena speaks up for the very first time since the fight started.

I stumble back as her blade cuts cleanly through my weapon and leaves two severed pieces in my hand. I throw them aside and rush forward with my knife in hand, another blow to my back sends me to the ground. "Tell me Spartan. Why do you insist on continuing on this fight?"

Percy growls beside me and I can practically feel the tension in his fingers. "You can look you know." I risk opening my eyes and see Athena in all her glory. The goddess was dressed in a spotless white gown with a breastplate and helmet I fire another shot before a bolt of pure light shoots from the goddesses hands at her and rips through my armor, leaving a black spot in my armor.

"Because." I replies, her feet wobbling around unsteadily. When my shields seem to begin regenerating, but my armor sparks around halfway and electricity fizzles all over. Alarms begin to blare again as it goes back to its drained self. "We took an oath to defend earth and her colonies."

"And to protect the United Earth Government." I reply coldly and moves in again with her spear leveled at my unshielded unprotected chest. Percy leaps forward and swing his sword to meet it. The energy blade slices through her spear, severing it at the tip which goes tumbling away as the blunted shaft smashes into my chest.

The air whooshes out of me as I crumple to my knees. Percy tries to swing his sword again, but the goddess is even faster and whirls around to slams the other end into his side. I breath heavily, trying to suck as much air as I can before throwing my knife at one of the coolant pipes above. Athena screams in surprise as she the steam comes blasting at her face, she covers her face as I feel the cool mist splashing against me. Percy helps me to my feet and pulls me aside.

Sam shouts and comes charing from the mist with her bayonet and manages to land a blow into her abdomen. Athena gasps sharply and tumbles onto her knees, she moves her hand in a vicious backhand as golden blood drips from the wound.

Andrew appears next and advances closer at her, firing his plasma rifle, burning through her armor which twists and melts viciously as the plasma splashes against her. The goddess hisses in pain as she removes her armor, moving only in her dress. Andrew continues to fire but Athena dodges it and rams her shoulder against the big spartan, grabbing onto his armor and pulls hard, so hard that bits of the extra armor plates goes flying.

"Spartans, we've driven the UNSC back. How is your mission going?" I hear Drake's voice coming to my radio.

I clench my knife and back away, taking cover behind the reactor as I press the radio button to activate it. "This is Persephone, the General is giving us a bit of trouble, get your troops out of there now."

"What about you Spartan?"

"We'll find our own way out," I assure her.

"Alright then, copy that." I risk a glance around and see the three Spartans struggling to fight against the Goddess. She's badly wounded and barely manages to hold our own as they beat her back. "Percy!"

I throw my knife at her, aiming for her back but Athena swats it aside. "Activate the explosives."

His eyes widen in surprise at a suggestion, but he slowly begins to nod and detaches himself from the fight. He pulls out the detonator and turns presses the button.

An explosion overhead tears through the reactor which flares bright red. Klaxons sounds as bits of the ceilings fall around us. The Spartans wisely scatter and break off the fight. "You have a choice her Athena. You can choose to save yourself and your men, or you can fight us and die."

The goddess glares at us, for a moment unable to speak and move, even as more explosions go off all around us. I join the other three Spartans and prepare to fight, her body is practically seething in fury as she holds up the blunted spear in her hands and slowly eyes each of us back and forth. But finally Athena seems to understand that she's beaten and nods. "This is not over." She says and closes her eyes, before glowing brightly, but this time it's not the same as before and she vanishes out from sight.

"Come on," I say and wave my hands out to the rest of my team. "Let's get out of here."

The others do the same and quickly follow me out, stumbling through the ruins of the reactor as the machine goes into critical levels and begins to collapse upon itself. Outside the halls are empty as a voice blares. "Soldiers this is General Athena, the reactor is reaching critical levels and I order immediate evacuation now."

We make our way down the halls, now darkened save for the bright red sirens that are now blaring all around the ceilings above us. Athena continues to command orders from the speaker while we move. There are a few marines and other personnel who are also in the halls with us, but they're all too busy trying to reach the escape ships instead of trying to stop us.

"Come on the hangar is this way." Sam urges and waves her hands around to one direction. The ship shakes once again as the structure seems to almost tremble from the next explosion. "That doesn't sound good."

She quickly sprints ahead of us when a fist suddenly out of the shadows and knocks her to the side of the room. Percy advances forward and rushes to her side, he lunges forward attacker and forces him to the ground. The big figure falls down with a loud thud but quickly shakes him off.

"Percy," I shout as the figure rises to his feet and glares at him. The god of war looks worse for wear, sporting a broken nose and quite a few cuts and bruises. Still, he bares his teeth hatefully at the two of them and charges at Sam who narrowly avoids it by ducking aside.

"Come on we need to help them," I say to Andrew who nods and begins to advance forward, but another explosion sends the ceiling crashing down in front of us. Steel dividers and rubbles crash in front of us. "Percy?" I shout, trying to move through some of the debris.

I can hear the sound of grunts followed by punches and gunfire just beyond. "Percy!" I shout a bit more insistently and rip some of it down, but more rubble continues to tumble down from the ceiling.

"I'm here." He manages to say after a while and lets out a pained grunt. "We're alright but you guys better get out of there."

"But what about you?" I frown and continue to try and dig through.

"We can get out on our own." He replies, trying to remain calm. "We'll be fine but just get out of here."

Andrew places a hand on my shoulder. I turn back to him and slowly nod my head. "We better get going. I'm sure they'll be fine."

The two of us begin running down the halls, even while the sounds of fighting get louder and louder. ****

 **Percy's POV**

"Neither of you are getting out of here alive." Ares growls and holds up a longsword that's almost four feet in length. There's a crazy gleam in his eyes as he advances closer towards us with his sword ready.

"This is your daughter here," I shout angrily, pointing my hand out at Sam who's still struggling to get to her feet. "If you don't let us go then she's going to die."

He turns his head to Sam and regards her colly before snorting. He slashes his sword down at her. Sam screams as she shoves her head to the ground and the sword cuts empty air. "I have no daughter."

To Sam's credit she doesn't even blink. Screaming in anger, she throws herself forward at him and knocks him back against the wall. There she begins to throw punches relentless against his face.

I join her and slam the butt of my rifle at his crotch before bringing it up in a savage uppercut against his face. Ares stumbles to the ground and wasn't able to react properly. He roars angrily and a shockwave sends us flying, the whole ship shudders once again.

"That doesn't sound good." I open fire at him with my rifle and crouch down. "We better get out of here soon."

Sam picks up her shotgun and pumps it, firing at her father whose getting to his feet. "Then let's get out of here. I'll cover you."

I nod and run over to the door panel and begin to tap into the controls be it starts to fizzle. "The doors jam, it's gonna take me a little bit to get it working."

"Ya that's not difficult at all." She retorts and leaps at Ares with her bayonet ready as she plunges it into him. Ares swats her aside and snarls in anger, picking her up by the throat and shoving her down. I turn around and open fire with my assault rifle.

The bullets ping against him as I place the spoofer onto the door. It goes to work rapidly beeping and begins tapping thousands of codes at once. Eventually the red light on the side of the machine turned solid green and the panels on the door slid open. "Sam!" I shout, turning around to see her kicking feet at Ares's face. "Sam!"

She growls and takes a deep breath. Tucking her feet in close to her chest, she suddenly jabs her legs outwards at her fathers chest. He releases his grip on her and staggers back. Sam drops to a crouch and picks up her weapon. She begins to back away to the door with me, offering suppressive fire as she backs away.

Ares starts to get up but I throw a pair of frag grenades into the room before shutting the doors behind me. "Come on," I reply and glance back as smoke starts to emerge from the doorway. "We better go."

She nods and begins to keep up with me as we jog past through the crumbling halls and bulkheads. I begin to tap into my motion tracker and start to place a and tracker in the hangar. Most of the ships are gone, but I spot a longsword tucked away on the side. "This way!"

I take her by the hand and start to lead her drag her to the ship. The pilots are still powering up with the ship when we arrive. "Hands up!" I shout and point my rifle at them. The two men look I'm surprise as they nearly stop their movements, but a moment later they slowly begin to continue their process.

I lean in closer to the cockpit and nod. "Take us to the Rebel fleet," I say calmly and push the copilot aside and take his place, keeping my gun ready at his side.

"Call down Spartan." One of the pilots says fearfully. He raises his hands up as I take the controls from him. "We're doing what you want to see? Just don't kill us."

I nod again and place a hand on his shoulder to try and be reassuring. "We won't hurt you so long as you cooperate."

The longsword starts to take off from the landing pad. It's landing gear retracts upwards and speeds out of the entrance. The fighter begins to move out the hangar towards the rest of the fleet. As we move, the ship begins to explode all around, sending it collapsing all around us.

Outside of the ship the battle is largely over, most of the ships are either destroyed or fleeing. Only a couple of UNSC ships remaining to hold off the advancing rebel-Covenant fleet. Portals begin to open as the last of ships get out of there.

"Admiral Drake?" I activate the mic and start to speak into it. "Admiral are you there?"

"We're here Spartan." Drake replies and the relief I'm his voice is pretty obvious. "What's your status over there?"

"All good here," I reply and relax in my chair, keeping , my weapon ready as we fly by.

"You'll be happy to know your sister and teammates are fine." Drake continues. "They're in an escape pod. We'll see you then."


End file.
